Original practice exercise by Basnote
Metal Gallop Bass Line
An original 152 BPM bass exercise in E minor: read the TAB, check the chords bar by bar, and download it as MIDI.
- Key
- E minor
- Tempo
- 152 BPM
- Feel
- Pushed
- Style
- Metal
- Length
- 4 bars, 4/4
An original exercise written for Basnote’s Riff Lab: a stylised practice pattern in the spirit of the genre, not a transcription of any recording.
About this bass line
What it trains. This line trains the gallop: an eighth note followed by two sixteenths, repeated on one low root at 152 BPM in E minor over E5 – E5 – C5 – D5. Accents on the fifth or the octave, and a final slide into the next chord, keep the repetition from going flat.
How to practise it. Loop one bar at a time with a pick or two fingers, muting with the side of your hand. Count the gallop as “one-ta-ka” and keep the two sixteenths identical, even as the tempo climbs.
A common mistake. Letting the sixteenths grow louder or longer than the eighth note, which makes the gallop stumble instead of drive.
Bass TAB (standard 4-string, E A D G)
Palm-muted gallop · As written
Key E · 152 BPM · Tuning EADG
h hammer-on · / slide · > accent · (x) ghost note
E5
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |------------------------------------------------|
D |------------------------------------>9----------|
A |>7----7--7-->7----7--7-->7----7--7--------/6----|
E |------------------------------------------------|
E5
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |------------>9----------------------------------|
D |------------------------>9----------------------|
A |>7----7--7--------7--7--------7--7-->7----/2----|
E |------------------------------------------------|
C5
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |------------------------------------------------|
D |------------------------------------>5----------|
A |>3----3--3-->3----3--3-->3----3--3--------/4----|
E |------------------------------------------------|
D5
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |------------>7----------------------------------|
D |------------------------>7----------------------|
A |>5----5--5--------5--5--------5--5-->5----/6----|
E |------------------------------------------------|One bar per block, one column per sixteenth note, counted 1 e & a. Frets show one playable fingering that Basnote picks for a compact hand position; the same pitches can be played elsewhere on the neck. The line sits in Riff Lab’s register, which for some keys is an octave higher than a bassist would usually play it; drop it an octave if it feels high. On a narrow screen the TAB scrolls sideways.
Chords and bass notes, bar by bar
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Bass notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E5 | i5 |
|
| 2 | E5 | i5 |
|
| 3 | C5 | ♭VI5 |
|
| 4 | D5 | ♭VII5 |
|
Each note shows its name, where it falls in the bar (1 e & a counting) and its role in the chord.
Download the MIDI
Each file is a Standard MIDI file (format 1) with these tracks: bass, guitar riff and drums. The six variations rework the bass line and its backing; key and tempo stay the same.
-
As writtenDownload basnote-metal-gallop-as-written-e-152bpm.mid
The reference riff exactly as designed for the style.
-
FoundationDownload basnote-metal-gallop-foundation-e-152bpm.mid
Off-beats removed and roots on the strong beats: the learnable skeleton.
-
PocketDownload basnote-metal-gallop-pocket-e-152bpm.mid
Ghost notes and a pickup into every chord change, aiming at the groove sweet spot.
-
DrivenDownload basnote-metal-gallop-driven-e-152bpm.mid
Doubled subdivision for a busier, past-the-peak version to practise against.
-
Half-timeDownload basnote-metal-gallop-half-time-e-152bpm.mid
Stretched to a half-time feel with long low notes holding the pulse.
-
Octave liftDownload basnote-metal-gallop-octave-lift-e-152bpm.mid
The back half jumps an octave, turning the riff into a melodic line.