Pressure Gauge (hard) · level 3 · goal 164 bpm

Pressure Gauge is an eight-bar thrash riff in standard tuning: Teutonic thrash, F# minor, pedal tone. This is level 3 of 3, played at 164 bpm; the three levels of the riff run from 110 to 164 bpm. It works on palm muting, power chords, hammer-ons and pull-offs, slides. 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 reverse gallops on the open A lean into the next line note, so think "da-da-DUM." In bars five and six, pick only the first note of each pull-off and let the open B snap back between them.

The three levels

1. Level 1 · 110 bpm · Teutonic thrash, F# minor, pedal tone. Accent the fretted notes on the beat and keep the pedal notes light and muted.
2. Level 2 · 150 bpm · Teutonic thrash, F# minor, pedal tone. The line notes land squarely on the beat and the pedal fills the "ands." Keep the picking hand moving down-down like a piston.
3. Level 3 · 164 bpm · Teutonic thrash, F# minor, pedal tone. The reverse gallops on the open A lean into the next line note, so think "da-da-DUM." In bars five and six, pick only the first note of each pull-off and let the open B snap back between them.