having trouble playing gallops

oi_pride · #1 01-03-2010, 03:04 PM

Hey guys i'm having trouble playing gallops. I've tired the three finger technique and the two finger. i prefer the two finger technique, but i either lose the rhythm, or my arm tires out in like two minutes. i've been practicing for hours and days but i just can't quite get it right.

Any advice you guys could give would be very appreciated.

eddievanbassman · #2 01-03-2010, 03:05 PM

Play close to the bridge and pluck soft.

oi_pride · #3 01-03-2010, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddievanbassman

Play close to the bridge and pluck soft.

i've tried that. every time i start out slow and build up speed my fingers start to not want to do it.

i don't know maybe i'm trying to play to fast.

jefkritz · #4 01-03-2010, 08:39 PM

practice a lot.

start at super slow speeds and play it until it's past boring and you really get it. at least 5 minutes, 10 would be better. heck, do an hour and you'll be rocking.
then speed it up a bit and do it until it's boring and you're super comfortable again. and so on and so forth... eventually, it'll be so natural you'll be galloping like a regular clydesdale at ultra-high speed.

the key is playing within your limits and training your hands so that you can then play faster.

oh, and use a metronome.

GearHeadBassMan · #5 01-03-2010, 08:41 PM

i think that it's just a matter of practicing and practicing. once you have the technique down, you practice to build up your stamina, just like you can't do 200 pushups as soon as you learn the proper way to do a push up.

keep working at it, i'm no good at gallops either, for the same reason as you, my arm just gets tired

dwm74 · #6 01-04-2010, 07:41 AM

What helped me was playing along with the CD. Iron Maiden's The Trooper has that familiar three note gallop. I couldn't play it worth beans until I started trying to keep up with the song, then I was able to pull it off within a relatively short time of practicing.

I'm still not 100% perfect throughout the entire 4:00 song, but I'd say I hit the right timing about 97% of the time. Just remember to keep your right relaxed and not tense it up...that'll kill any fluidity.

oi_pride · #7 01-04-2010, 08:09 AM

thanks guys. i'm going to start trying again in a few.

tranceFusion · #8 01-04-2010, 08:11 AM

make sure your plucking wrist is close to straight. If you wrist is bent, it will fatigue much more easily.

joebar · #9 01-10-2010, 08:51 PM

steve harris was the reason i started playing bass in the mid 80's. naturally you need to gallop when learning iron maiden . i learned how to do it very quickly on and it comes naturally to me. i use two fingers- first and second. i start the gallop with the second finger and then a brief pause and then i drop two notes rapidly one after the other hitting with the second one first again, followed by the first finger. the second finger always is working twice as hard as the first one, but it is natural and fatigue (one over the other is a non issue). this technique i use is in my opinion better suited to a gallop because it facilitates more bounce which is needed for the gallop.
if i was to evenly pluck each note always alternating fingers, i believe it would take some of the accent out of the pattern causing the flow to not gallop as well.