Tips on how to get better at playing fast triplets / "galloping"

[Dominik Gräber]

Besides practicing it over and over again, what can I do to improve my triplet playing? I’m talking about riffing like in Metallica’s Hardwired or Moth into Flame. I sometimes nail them, but not always. They are no problem for me if I play them very slowly though.
So is there any trick or way to hold your hand or picks that works better than others for that technique? I normally play gripping the pick with three fingers, kinda like James Hetfield does (I always held the pick that way intuitively) and with this I sometimes nail it when sitting, but never do while standing.

 

[idssdi]

If the problem is the difference between sitting and standing you can always simply lower or higher the strap of your guitar. Of that is not the problem I don’t really know. Generally speaking there are no shortcuts so just try to keep at it. I always kinda alternate pick my galloping but for Metallica I don’t think that the way to go but I’m not sure only learned One some time ago which doesn’t really have that much galloping in it

 

[Filip Tomiša]

Playing super slow with a metronome and SLOWLY increasing the speed. Don’t play with a metronome on let’s say 100bpm and then after 5 minutes jump to 200bpm cause you won’t achieve shit with that. Start slow and increase the speed by 10 every 5 minutes and do it until you can’t play it clean anymore and don’t encrease the bpm after that. Do that for like 20-30 minutes a day and you will 100% improve. I know that it is fucking boring to play with a metronome but it really does work. You will see the difference the very next day. You will still suck but you will be better than you were the day before. Just push through with that boring metronome because it will pay off in the end !

 

[Ed Seith]

In the same way you work on downpicking with Metallica, you work on triplets with MAIDEN.
Learn The Trooper, and learn it standing up, starting slow. You get that up to tempo and good to go, and you’ll be in good shape on galloping triplets. If you want to start slower, but with more endurance, try Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

 

[Dominik Gräber]

Thanks for the tips so far!
I may try it with a metronome tomorrow.
But when standing up, I feel like having a serious problem with galloping. It seems like my hand just isn’t in the right position for a smooth down/up motion. I don’t have my guitar super low, I’d even like to go lower, but that doesn’t get me anywhere lol.

 

[Filip Tomiša]

Same here man, I totally understand you. I recently started playing with a metronome after quite a while and I noticed improvements on both my fretting and picking hand, it feels like my picking hand is slowly adjusting to that “right place” when I’m playing with a metronome for like 30 min. I’m just playing “Alternate picking 1” from Syns etudes and increasing the bpm by 10 and I really do feel the improvement. I notice that my picking hand becomes way more relaxed and it starts picking “correctly”. Each day I start doing that excercise I notice it becomes easier to do it and i feel te improvement.
Just force yourself to start playing with a metronome very very slow because that is actually the fastest way to progress, go figure

 

[Dan Shipway]

For me its all about having lots of control and playing it tight. Essentially it is alternate picking but sticato like. If you want I can send some videos across to play along to and give advice through PM?

 

[Jake Young]

Pay close attention to your picking hand when you play the notes comfortable sitting…record yourself and put it in slow motion if possible. Then stand and try to mimic the exact same motion.. I don’t wanna say time and patience like everyone else lol…but time and patience. Sitting and standing is two different beasts when it comes to guitar..and in general for that matter. As far as getting better with your gallop, in general…and I’m gonna play Devils advocate like I sometimes do here.. Push your limits!!! Take the standard advice and start slow..it’s the tried and true method. But I read an article years ago in “Guitar One” that has always stuck with me that said “There is no way that you will be able to play faster if you never push your limits.” You can get really good at playing a riff by practicing it slowly, but slow practice can lead to slow playing. After all, how you practice is usually how you end up playing. The prevailing logic is that increasing your speed beyond what you can do “cleanly” can lead to sloppy playing. It’s true if you do it all the time. Butt if you methodically and incrementally (but not slowly hah) increase it to the point where your playing becomes almost reckless You’ll see some awesome results. I could go on and on..but basically pick up your guitar and play triplets as fast as you possible can for as long as you can and don’t worry about how clean they sound as long as the gallop of the triplet is there.. Throw that in with your slow practice from time to time and you’ll be a Hetfield Jr. In no time

 

[Dominik Gräber]

Wow, good points, never seen it like this @jake! I will for sure try both slow and fast practice!
@dan I’m always glad for some good advice!