Ashen Choir (easy) · level 1 · goal 100 bpm

Ashen Choir is an eight-bar thrash riff in standard tuning: Teutonic thrash, G minor, half-time. This is level 1 of 3, played at 100 bpm; the three levels of the riff run from 100 to 160 bpm. It works on palm muting, power chords. The player loops the riff with drums and bass, starts at 70% speed and steps up 5% after every clean pass until you play it at full tempo.

Let the melody notes ring their full length before moving. In the riff, the accented chords fall on one and three, which gives it the heavy half-time sway. Downstrokes throughout.

The three levels

1. Level 1 · 100 bpm · Teutonic thrash, G minor, half-time. Let the melody notes ring their full length before moving.
2. Level 2 · 140 bpm · Teutonic thrash, G minor, half-time. Make the hammer-ons and pull-offs clear without picking the second note.
3. Level 3 · 160 bpm · Teutonic thrash, G minor, half-time. Play the melody legato: pick once and let hammer-ons and pull-offs carry the rest.