Heavy metal gallop

A gallop is a beat or rhythm typically used in traditional heavy metal songs.[1] It is created by playing an eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes (),[2] usually on rhythm guitar or drum kit.

For other uses, see Gallop.

One technique on guitar involves strumming palm muted power chords in an up-and-down motion with a pick, thereby creating an ostinato.[3][4] Variations include the triplet gallop[5] and the reverse gallop.[6]

On drums, the technique often uses a double kick pedal. A typical drum gallop is formed around this skeleton:

H- x---x---x---x---|
S- ----o-------o---|
B- o-ooo-ooo-ooo-oo|

Songs using the metal gallop

• "Hard Lovin' Man" – Deep Purple (1970)[7]
• "Immigrant Song" – Led Zeppelin (1970)[3]
• "Children of the Grave" – Black Sabbath (1971)[7]
• "Highway Star" – Deep Purple (1972)[8]
• "Achilles Last Stand" – Led Zeppelin (1975)[9]
• "Barracuda" – Heart (1977)[9]
• "Lights Out - UFO (1977)
• "Exciter" – Judas Priest (1978)[9]
• "Stained Class" – Judas Priest (1978)[9]
• "Air Dance" – Black Sabbath (1978)[10]
• "The Oath" – Kiss (1981)[9]
• "Killers" – Iron Maiden (1981)[11]
• "Run to the Hills" – Iron Maiden (1982)[12]
• "The Trooper" – Iron Maiden (1983)
• "Motorbreath" – Metallica (1983)[13]
• "Holy Diver" – Dio (1983)[6]
• "Exciter" – Kiss (1983)[9]
• "Powerslave" – Iron Maiden (1984)
• "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" – Iron Maiden (1984)
• "Disposable Heroes" – Metallica (1986)[13]
• "Damage, Inc." – Metallica (1986)[13]
• "Raining Blood" – Slayer (1986)[6]
• "The Final Countdown" – Europe (1986)
• "Over the Wall" – Testament (1987)[12]
• "Headless Cross" – Black Sabbath (1989)[1]
• "Hammer Smashed Face" – Cannibal Corpse (1992)
• "Demonheart" – Luca Turilli (2002)
• "Rise of the Chaos Wizards" – Gloryhammer (2015) [14]
• "Legend of The Astral Hammer" – Gloryhammer (2015) [14]
• "Battery" – Metallica (1986)

References

Citations

1. Stolz 2017, p. 142.
2. Marshall 1993, p. 24.
3. Chappell, Phillips & Serna 2014, eBook.
4. Stang & Warner 1996, p. 6.
5. Woods & Green 2008, p. 58.
6. Revill 2017.
7. Popoff 2011, p. 237.
8. Hal Leonard 2011, eBook.
9. Stang & Purse 2014, p. 8.
10. Popoff 2011, p. 247.
11. Popoff, p. 32. sfn error: no target: CITEREFPopoff (help)
12. Chlasciak 2018.
13. Pillsbury 2006, eBook. sfn error: no target: CITEREFPillsbury2006 (help)

Sources

• Chappell, Jon; Phillips, Mark; Serna, Desi (2014). Guitar All-In-One For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1118872109.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Chlasciak, Metal Mike (May 7, 2018). "Play Mega-Metal Licks in the Style of Metallica, Testament and Pantera". Guitarworld.com. Retrieved May 28, 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hal Leonard (2011). Rock Bass Songs for Dummies. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-1458434937.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Marshall, Wolf (1993). The Wolf Marshall Guitar Method. Hal Leonard.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Pillsbury, Glenn (2013). Damage Incorporated: Metallica and the Production of Musical Identity. New York City: Routledge. ISBN 978-1136091223.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Popoff, Martin (2018). Iron Maiden: Album by Album. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0760360880.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Popoff, Martin (2011). Black Sabbath FAQ: All That's Left to Know on the First Name in Metal. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-1617131097.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Revill, Simon (April 13, 2017). "Gallop Rhythms for Heavy Metal Guitar, Part 1". Guitarworld.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Stang, Aaron; Purse, Bill (2014). Sound Innovations for Guitar, Teacher Edition Book 2: A Revolutionary Guitar Method for Individual or Class Instruction. Alfred Music. ISBN 978-1470633172.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Stang, Aaron; Warner, Daniel (1996). Guitar Rock Shop, Volume 3. Alfred Music. ISBN 978-1576237311.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Stolz, Nolan (2017). Experiencing Black Sabbath: A Listener's Companion. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1442256927.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Woods, Tricia; Green, Raleigh (2008). The Versatile Guitarist: A Complete Course in a Variety of Musical Styles. Van Nuys, California: Alfred Music. ISBN 978-0739048054.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)