Cinder Lancers (hard) · level 3 · goal 162 bpm

Cinder Lancers is an eight-bar gallop riff in standard tuning: NWOBHM gallop in E minor. This is level 3 of 3, played at 162 bpm; the three levels of the riff run from 116 to 162 bpm. It works on gallop picking, palm muting, open chords, hammer-ons and pull-offs, slides, 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.

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. In bar six, use your first finger as an anchor on fret seven while the pull-offs snap down onto it.

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.