Bay Street Thrash · level 2 · goal 150 bpm

Bay Street Thrash is an eight-bar thrash riff in standard tuning: Bay Area thrash, E minor, all downstrokes. This is level 2 of 3, played at 150 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.

Every note is a downstroke. Rest the palm hard on the chugs and lift it for the chord stabs so they bark. If the picking hand tires, slow down rather than switching to alternate picking: the tone is the point.

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.