Cinder Lancers (easy) · level 1 · goal 116 bpm

Cinder Lancers is an eight-bar gallop riff in standard tuning: NWOBHM gallop in E minor. This is level 1 of 3, played at 116 bpm; the three levels of the riff run from 116 to 162 bpm. It works on gallop picking, palm muting, power chords, vibrato. 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 first chord of each bar ring for its full quarter before you start muting. In bar eight, the walk-down B, A, G, F# is the hook, so play each note evenly and lean into the open E.

The three levels

1. Level 1 · 116 bpm · NWOBHM gallop in E minor. Let the first chord of each bar ring for its full quarter before you start muting.
2. Level 2 · 144 bpm · NWOBHM gallop in E minor. Keep the gallops locked to the kick drum: the long note is on the beat, and the two short ones fill the back half.
3. Level 3 · 162 bpm · NWOBHM gallop in E minor. The pickup at the end of bar four comes straight off the palm-muted B, so lift your palm the instant you move to the second string.