Northern Gallop (easy) · level 1 · goal 120 bpm

Northern Gallop is an eight-bar gallop riff in standard tuning: NWOBHM gallop in E minor. This is level 1 of 3, played at 120 bpm; the three levels of the riff run from 120 to 160 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.

Count "one, two-and-a, three, four-and-a". The gallop is a long note and two short ones; start slow and keep the two short ones even.

The three levels

1. Level 1 · 120 bpm · NWOBHM gallop in E minor. Count "one, two-and-a, three, four-and-a".
2. Level 2 · 140 bpm · NWOBHM gallop in E minor. Pick every gallop down-down-up and keep the palm on the bridge so the mutes stay short.
3. Level 3 · 160 bpm · NWOBHM gallop in E minor. The reverse gallop (two short, one long) lands on the "and"; keep the wrist loose and the pick shallow.