Granite Column (easy) · level 1 · goal 108 bpm

Granite Column is an eight-bar gallop riff in standard tuning: NWOBHM riff in A minor, straight. This is level 1 of 3, played at 108 bpm; the three levels of the riff run from 108 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.

Choke each chord with your fretting hand right on the rest. That silence is the hook. In bar eight, play the walk-up E, F#, G, G# evenly and let it pull you back to the fifth-fret A.

The three levels

1. Level 1 · 108 bpm · NWOBHM riff in A minor, straight. Choke each chord with your fretting hand right on the rest.
2. Level 2 · 138 bpm · NWOBHM riff in A minor, straight. Use alternate picking for the eighths, but start every gallop with a downstroke.
3. Level 3 · 160 bpm · NWOBHM riff in A minor, straight. For the reverse gallops, think "ta-ka-TA" and accent the long note.