Bay Street Thrash (easy) · level 1 · goal 120 bpm

Bay Street Thrash is an eight-bar thrash riff in standard tuning: Bay Area thrash, E minor, all downstrokes. This is level 1 of 3, played at 120 bpm; the three levels of the riff run from 120 to 180 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.

Downstrokes only, even at this tempo. Count the chugs out loud; the chord stabs fall exactly on three and four in bars one and three.

The three levels

1. Level 1 · 120 bpm · Bay Area thrash, E minor, all downstrokes. Downstrokes only, even at this tempo.
2. Level 2 · 150 bpm · Bay Area thrash, E minor, all downstrokes. Every note is a downstroke.
3. Level 3 · 180 bpm · Bay Area thrash, E minor, all downstrokes. The sixteenth pairs before each stab are two quick downstrokes from the wrist, not the elbow.