Gallop trainer
Gallop trainer drills the rhythms that carry metal riffs. You pick a pattern, for example 0-00, or combine several in a sequence. The grid and the tab show every note, and the tool plays the pattern with a plucked string on top of a click or drums.
How to use it
- Pick a pattern from the list, or switch to combine and add several patterns in a sequence. Randomize makes a new sequence.
- The grid shows every beat split into steps. A box with a frame is a note and a dashed box is a rest.
- Pick the string and fret and whether you play alternate strokes or downstrokes only.
- Pick a training mode and tempo, press Start and play along. Begin at a tempo you can play cleanly.
- The session is saved in the practice log and personal bests apply per pattern.
What is a gallop?
A gallop is a rhythm pattern with an eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes, as in 0-00. The pattern drives metal riffs forward and is usually played with downstrokes on the low strings, as in classic Iron Maiden riffs and in thrash.
- Reverse gallop flips the pattern: two sixteenth notes followed by an eighth note.
- Triplets divide the beat into three equal parts and feel more rolling.
- Syncopation moves the emphasis from the beat to the space between.
Downstrokes or alternate picking?
Both work, and the tool lets you choose. Pure downstrokes give the heaviest sound but put a limit on tempo. Alternate picking is more even and can be held faster, but requires the upstrokes to be as strong as the downstrokes.
How to practise a gallop step by step
Start with a single pattern on an open, low string at a tempo where every stroke is in place. Tempo, string changes and combinations come after that.
- Choose the gallop pattern (0-00) and a low string, preferably the open note.
- Play with downstrokes only and count: the strokes fall on 1, and and a.
- Choose Repetitions and raise the tempo only after several clean repetitions in a row.
- Try alternate picking when downstrokes become too slow, and compare how the upstrokes sound.
- Combine gallop with reverse gallop or triplets once the pattern is steady.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read the pattern 0-00?
The digit 0 is a stroke on an open string. The pattern 0-00 is one eighth note (0) followed by two sixteenth notes (00) within a beat. In the grid a framed square is a stroke and a dashed square is a rest. Count 1-e-and-a: the strokes land on 1, and and a, but not on e.
Which patterns are in the tool?
Gallop, reverse gallop, long gallop, triplet, shuffle, triplet with rest first, sixteenth notes, eighth notes, offbeat, dotted and late sixteenth. You can play one pattern or combine several. The patterns divide the beat into steps, and the grid shows every step.
How do I combine patterns?
Switch to Combine patterns and add several patterns in a sequence. You choose the number of beats per pattern. The patterns play in order and start over. Randomize gives a new sequence.
Is the personal best saved per pattern?
Yes. The session is logged in the practice log, and a personal best applies per pattern. Clean sessions at a higher tempo than before set a new personal best for that pattern. That lets you compare yourself with the same rhythm over time.
How do I play a gallop on guitar?
Play one eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes within each beat, usually on a palm-muted open string with downstrokes. Start at a low tempo and count 1-and-a. The grid in the tool shows where each stroke falls, and Repetitions raises the tempo only after you have played cleanly.
Related tools
- Speed trainer: Raise the tempo step by step, with timed rounds or clean repetitions.
- Metronome: Click or drums with a bouncing ball, step sequencer, spectrum, fullscreen and tap tempo.
- Tremolo trainer: Practise tremolo picking with eighth notes, triplets or sixteenth notes on one or more strings.
- Alternate picking trainer: Alternate picking exercises: one string, several strings, scales, sequences and position shifts.
- String skipping trainer: Practice jumps between strings with fixed patterns and interval jumps on a scale.
- Timing analyzer: Measure how close to the click your notes land, using a microphone or audio interface. The audio never leaves your device.