Heavy metal gallop
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.
One technique on guitar involves strumming palm muted power chords in an up-and-down motion with a pick, thereby creating an ostinato.
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|
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
- "Immigrant Song" – Led Zeppelin
- "Children of the Grave" – Black Sabbath
- "Highway Star" – Deep Purple
- "Keep Yourself Alive" – Queen
Examples of songs using the gallop
- "Great King Rat" – Queen
- "Achilles Last Stand" – Led Zeppelin
- "Barracuda" – Heart
- "Exciter" – Judas Priest
- "Stained Class" – Judas Priest
- "Air Dance" – Black Sabbath
- "The Oath" – Kiss
- "Killers" – Iron Maiden
- "Run to the Hills" – Iron Maiden
- "The Trooper" – Iron Maiden
- "The Four Horsemen" – Metallica
- "Motorbreath" – Metallica
- "Holy Diver" – Dio
- "Exciter" – Kiss
- "Fight Fire with Fire" – Metallica
- "Disposable Heroes" – Metallica
- "Damage, Inc." – Metallica
- "Raining Blood" – Slayer
- "Over the Wall" – Testament
- "Headless Cross" – Black Sabbath