A gallop is a beat or rhythm typically used in traditional heavy metal songs. It is created by playing an eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes (), usually on rhythm guitar, drums, or bass.
Gallop played on a bass with a pick
Gallop pattern played on drums
Triplet gallop variation on MIDI guitar
One technique on guitar involves strumming palm muted power chords in an up-and-down motion with a pick, thereby creating an ostinato.[4]
Variations include the triplet gallop and the reverse gallop.
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|
Several early examples are variations on the pattern that do not strictly use the "eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes", but nonetheless have been identified as gallops.
- "Great King Rat" – Queen (Queen, 1973)
- "Achilles Last Stand" – Led Zeppelin (Presence, 1976)[4]
- "Barracuda" – Heart (Little Queen, 1977)[4]
- "Exciter" – Judas Priest (Stained Class, 1978)[4]
- "Stained Class" – Judas Priest (Stained Class, 1978)[4]
- "Air Dance" – Black Sabbath (Never Say Die!, 1978)
- "The Oath" – Kiss (Music from "The Elder", 1981)[4]
- "Killers" – Iron Maiden (Killers, 1981)
- "Run to the Hills" – Iron Maiden (The Number of the Beast, 1982)
- "The Four Horsemen" – Metallica (Kill 'Em All, 1983)
- "Motorbreath" – Metallica (Kill 'Em All, 1983)[14]
- "Holy Diver" – Dio (Holy Diver, 1983)[15]
- "Exciter" – Kiss (Lick It Up, 1983)[4]
- "Fight Fire with Fire" – Metallica (Ride the Lightning), 1984)
- "Disposable Heroes" – Metallica (Master of Puppets, 1986)[14]
- "Damage, Inc." – Metallica (Master of Puppets, 1986)[14]
- "Raining Blood" – Slayer (Reign in Blood, 1986)[15]
- "Over the Wall" – Testament (The Legacy, 1987)
- "Headless Cross" – Black Sabbath (Headless Cross, 1989)
Citations
Pillsbury 2013, eBook: "Tightly palm-muted ostanati are also heard in other Metallica songs, ranging from the straightforward gallop in 'Motorbreath' from Kill 'Em All to the faster, more complex figures used in the verses of 'Disposable Heroes' and 'Damage, Inc.' from Master of Puppets.
Revill 2017: "['Holy Diver' uses] a much slower and simpler version of a gallop rhythm is in the verse riff"; "This version [used in 'Raining Blood'] is commonly known as the Reverse Gallop"
Sources
- Chappell, Jon; Phillips, Mark; Serna, Desi (2014). Guitar All-In-One For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1118872109.
- Chlasciak, Metal Mike (May 7, 2018). "Play Mega-Metal Licks in the Style of Metallica, Testament and Pantera". Guitarworld.com. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- Encabo, Enrique, ed. (2015). Reinventing Sound: Music and Audiovisual Culture. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-8105-0.
- Hal Leonard (2011). Rock Bass Songs for Dummies. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-1458434937.
- Marshall, Wolf (1993). The Wolf Marshall Guitar Method. Hal Leonard. ISBN 9780793516056.
- Pillsbury, Glenn (2013). Damage Incorporated: Metallica and the Production of Musical Identity. New York City: Routledge. ISBN 978-1136091223.
- 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.
- Popoff, Martin (2018a). Iron Maiden: Album by Album. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0760360880.
- Popoff, Martin (2018b). Led Zeppelin: All the Albums, All the Songs (Expanded ed.). Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-76035-211-3.
- Revill, Simon (April 13, 2017). "Gallop Rhythms for Heavy Metal Guitar, Part 1". Guitarworld.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- 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.
- Stang, Aaron; Warner, Daniel (1996). Guitar Rock Shop, Volume 3. Alfred Music. ISBN 978-1576237311.
- Stolz, Nolan (2017). Experiencing Black Sabbath: A Listener's Companion. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1442256927.
- Woods, Tricia; Green, Raleigh (2008). The Versatile Guitarist: A Complete Course in a Variety of Musical Styles. Alfred Music. ISBN 978-0739048054.