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, drums, or bass.

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|

Examples of early or "proto" gallops

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.

• "Hard Lovin' Man" – Deep Purple (Deep Purple in Rock, 1970)^[7]
• "Immigrant Song" – Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin III, 1970)^[8]
• "Children of the Grave" – Black Sabbath (Master of Reality, 1971)^[7]
• "Highway Star" – Deep Purple (Machine Head, 1972)^[9]
• "Keep Yourself Alive" – Queen (Queen, 1973)^[10]

Examples of songs using the gallop

• "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)^[11]
• "The Oath" – Kiss (Music from "The Elder", 1981)^[4]
• "Killers" – Iron Maiden (Killers, 1981)^[12]
• "Run to the Hills" – Iron Maiden (The Number of the Beast, 1982)^[13]
• "Motorbreath" – Metallica (Kill 'Em All, 1983)^[14]
• "Holy Diver" – Dio (Holy Diver, 1983)^[15]
• "Exciter" – Kiss (Lick It Up, 1983)^[4]
• "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)^[13]
• "Headless Cross" – Black Sabbath (Headless Cross, 1989)^[1]
• "N.W.O." – Spear Of Longinus (The Yoga Of National Socialism, 2002)
• "Galloping Through The Battle Ruins"  – Arghoslent (Galloping Through The Battle Ruins, 1998)

References

Citations

Sources

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• 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.
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• 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.
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