16th-note triplet bursts for metal guitar
Two palm-muted eighths, then a burst of six notes in the next beat, 16th-note triplets, then a power chord stab and another burst, over a kick drum that bursts with you. G5, A5 and B flat 5 take turns on the stab, and the last bar stops on B5. Bursts are how metal drummers and guitarists speed up a riff for a beat without changing the tempo, and fitting six even notes into a beat is a precise skill.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 110 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 110 bpm
- Starts at
- 66 bpm
- Length
- 4 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Advanced
- Plays with
- Drums
How to play it
Count "one, and, two-and-a-three-and-a": the burst starts exactly on its beat and lands on the next one.
Each bar is four beats: two palm-muted eighths on the low E, a burst of six 16th-note triplets on the same string, a power chord stab and a chug, then another burst. The stab is G5 in the first bar, A5 in the second and B flat 5 in the third.
In the last bar the second burst is replaced by a B5 hit held for a beat and a beat's rest.
Pick the bursts with strict alternate picking, which puts a downstroke on each beat. Count "one and two-and-a-three-and-a" for the burst, or say "tri-pl-et, tri-pl-et": two groups of three, even, inside the beat.
Mistakes to watch for
- Playing four or five notes in the burst instead of six.
- Starting the burst early or ending it late, so the next eighth isn't on the beat.
- Lifting the palm mute during the burst; it should sound as tight as the chugs.
- Going stiff for the burst and staying stiff for the eighths after it.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 66
- 72
- 77
- 83
- 88
- 94
- 99
- 105
- 110
That's 16 loops and about 3 minutes before you're playing at 110 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play 16th-note triplet bursts?
The goal is 110 bpm in 16th-note triplets, which is 11 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 66 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
Why 16th-note triplets and not 32nds?
Six notes a beat is the natural burst at metal tempos: fast enough to sound like a roll, slow enough to play evenly. Drummers play the same burst on the double kick, and locking with them is the point.
How do I get the burst even?
Practise it slowly on its own: six notes, then a stop on the next beat. When it's even, put it back between the eighths. The player's speed ramp does the rest.
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