4 Alternate Picking Exercises for Death Metal Riffs

If you want to play tighter, faster, more controlled death metal riffs, your alternate picking has to be solid. Not just fast, but clean, consistent, and in time.

In this lesson, I’m sharing 4 alternate picking exercises designed specifically for death metal guitar. These aren’t random drills. Each one is tied to a real, practical riff you can actually use. The goal here isn’t just to practice the technique. It’s to train yourself to play like a real death metal rhythm guitarist.

These four exercises cover everything from galloping patterns and tremolo picking to pedaling riffs and crossing strings at high speeds. They also help you build the three things every death metal player needs:

tightness
stamina
picking-hand control

And if you’ve ever struggled with your speed falling apart, your picking sounding inconsistent, or your riffs feeling “off,” these exercises will help you fix that, one step at a time.

Before we dive in, here’s a quick look at exactly what we’re going to cover:

✔️ Galloping + downpicking (the foundation of old-school death metal)
✔️ Single-string tremolo picking for speed & endurance
✔️ Moderate-speed “pedaling” riffs for stability & timing
✔️ Tremolo picking across two strings, the next level of alternate picking
✔️ Tabs included in each section so you can follow along

Whether you’re into the classic death metal bands or more melodic extremes, these ideas will help you sound tighter, heavier, and more confident. They’ll also give you the tools to write your own killer riffs.

👇 Watch the full video here to hear all 4 riffs in context and follow along with each exercise:

Exercise 1: Galloping + Downpicking (The Foundation of Death Metal Rhythm)

The first technique we’re working on here is the classic gallop, but not the gallop by itself. In this exercise, you’re mixing the gallop with isolated downpicking and then tying it all together with some wicked-sounding power-chord variations to give it a real death-metal feel.

If you want to hear this section in the video, jump to 00:36.

How the Gallop Actually Works

The gallop is really just a short burst of alternate picking:
down–up–down (1-2-3), repeated in quick succession.

On its own, it gives you that charging, forward-moving feel you hear in bands like Death, Obituary, and early 90s Florida death metal.

But for this exercise, we’re not just galloping non-stop.
You’re combining two elements:

1. A single, isolated downstroke

This is NOT part of the gallop. Treat it like its own musical idea.

2. A gallop immediately after

Down–up–down, tight and controlled.

There’s a very slight pause between the isolated downstroke and the gallop. That micro-pause is what makes the rhythm hit harder and feel more intentional.

This alone is a killer way to tighten up your picking hand.

Adding Power-Chord Variations (Essential for Death Metal Feel)

To really make this sound like death metal, and not just a generic picking drill, we’re attaching a pair of chord variations to each pattern.

Here’s the idea:

Play a D power chord (A and D strings, frets 5 and 7)
Then shift to a darker variation on the same root (frets 5 and 6)
Move the whole thing down a half step and repeat the pattern

This gives you a heavier, more dissonant feel that’s perfect for building real-world riffs.

Musically, this is similar to the type of rhythm work you hear in Death’s “Crystal Mountain”, where a simple rhythmic idea becomes powerful because of chord movement and note choice.

Full Exercise (Tabs Below)

Here’s the exact picking sequence you’re practicing:

Downstroke
Pause
Gallop (Down–Up–Down)
Chord variation 1
Chord variation 2
Move down a half step and repeat

👇 Scroll down to the end of this section for the tabs.

The video walks through this slowly, step-by-step, so if you need to see my hands and hear the timing, jump to 03:00 in the video.

Once you get the pattern down, start adding your own notes and chord variations. That’s where the real creativity kicks in.

Tabs for Exercise 1

If you want another tightness-building technique to pair with this exercise, check out my post on eliminating string noise. It goes hand-in-hand with the picking control you’re building here.

Exercise 2: Single-String Tremolo Picking for Speed, Stamina & Control

The second technique we’re digging into is straight-up tremolo picking, that fast, relentless alternate picking you hear in so many classic death metal riffs. This exercise is all about building stamina, control, and endurance in your picking hand.

If you want to see me break this down and hear how it should sound, jump to 03:32 in the video.

The Four Notes You’ll Use

This exercise uses only four notes on one string (A string):

8th fret
7th fret
4th fret
5th fret

You’re simply playing those notes in that sequence. Nothing complicated.

The challenge isn’t what you play, but how you pick it.

Adding Tremolo Picking (The Death Metal Engine)

Once you know the notes, add fast alternate picking to every note in the sequence.

This is pure tremolo picking, consistent, controlled, and aggressive. And it forces your picking hand to stay tight and relaxed at the same time.

If you find your picking arm locking up, that’s normal. Tremolo picking is one of the most physically demanding techniques in extreme metal.

Why I Let the Last Note Ring Out (and Why You Should Too)

When you repeat this pattern, you’ll notice I let the final note ring out slightly instead of tremolo picking it non-stop.

That serves two important purposes:

1. A built-in micro-break

Continuous tremolo picking for long stretches can fry your hand.
This tiny pause gives you breathing room while still keeping the riff musical.

2. A songwriting tip

Letting that last note ring gives the riff more space and keeps it from sounding like a wall of noise.

You’ll hear this type of phrasing in old-school bands like Malevolent Creation, especially in Fragmental Sanity, where tremolo lines breathe just enough to stay musical.

Two Tips to Make This Sound Tight (Not Muddy)

✔️ Use a very light palm mute

Not a full chug…
Just a whisper of muting to tighten up the attack.

Fast alternate picking can get messy and noisy. That slight mute keeps everything controlled.

✔️ Take breaks

This exercise is physically demanding.
Practice it a few times, pause, reset your hand, and then go again.

Tension kills speed.
Relaxation and repetition build it.