# Drummers: Were you taught NOT to "gallop"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 8, 2024, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624 "2024-03-08T22:43:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/21 "2024-03-09T16:29:06Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > But apparently, at a gentle canter. Of course, of course. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/22 "2024-03-09T16:49:48Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Would you consider the opening sticking on La Grange to be a gallop? I totally would call it that. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/23 "2024-03-09T18:34:14Z")
By single gallop I took the OP to mean adding a 16th right before the quarter note kick. Like in the intro groove for Now That We Found Love. It busies up the beat, but can also sound messy if your ear is expecting everything to line up on quarters or eights. Sometimes I hear it added at the end of a section acting like a fill without breaking the flow. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/24 "2024-03-09T23:03:00Z")
As good a song as any to have stuck in my head on Saturday night. I like the insistent triangle throughout. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NNEgUPKxk7A/maxresdefault.jpg "Heavy D & The Boyz - Now That We Found Love (Official Music Video) ft. Aaron Hall") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNEgUPKxk7A) ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/25 "2024-03-09T23:29:21Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I like the insistent triangle throughout. I never noticed it before and now will never not notice it. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2024, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/26 "2024-03-15T00:00:05Z")
Well, the abundance of replies widens my horizons and sure makes me think. There are many little rhytms that may be considered a gallop, so I cannot respond with confidence to any one of you. You have posed some great arguments. In hindisght, perhaps the advice not to “gallop” (or, more specifically, not to slip into a gallop) was more of a guide when first learning to do a drum roll…vs a hard and fast rule. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2024, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/27 "2024-03-15T18:11:18Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > In hindisght, perhaps the advice not to “gallop” (or, more specifically, not to slip into a gallop) was more of a guide That would be my take. Teach the rigid fundamental first to get muscle memory, then later modify it with slop, shuffle, lead, and lag later once the technique is mastered. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/28 "2024-03-15T22:47:22Z")
What do slop, lead and lag mean? I know what a shuffle is, but it doesn’t really relate to the discussion. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/29 "2024-03-16T00:47:21Z")
I took lead and lag to mean moving some of the instruments off-beat slightly to change the feel. For example playing the snare slightly ahead or behind 2&4 while leaving the kick locked on 1&3. Slop probably means moving them inconsistently across measures. For ‘shuffle’ they might have meant to say ‘swing’ and were referring to how much you can make the beat swing. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/30 "2024-03-16T01:32:04Z")
Yes, leading or lagging the beat, pulling the beats per minute around, aka being in or out of “the pocket”. Examples that come to mind for me are Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) or John Bonham (Led Zep) ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/31 "2024-03-16T01:36:50Z")
Ah, I’ve never heard it described that way. It’s usually referred to as “playing ahead of the beat” or “playing behind the beat.” I think “slop” was simply called being a bad drummer. A shuffle, on the other hand is a beat played with swung eighths, rather than straight eighths, with a backbeat on either 3, or 2 and 4. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/32 "2024-03-16T02:03:07Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > It’s usually referred to as “playing ahead of the beat” or “playing behind the beat.” I think “slop” was simply called being a bad drummer. Well, think of it as an inexperienced drummer inconsistently varying before and after the beat on a roll by very small amounts, and also varying your emphasis. Basically you’re making your roll uneven, and it “gallops” as a result. And yeah, I can do a consistent roll, and I can do a galloping roll. Since I can’t really pick which one I’m going to do at any given time until I’m in the middle of it, I think of myself as a bad drummer. If you can control your slop, it’s more of a style choice than being bad at it. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/33 "2024-03-16T02:11:30Z")
That all makes sense. I guess I’m still trying to wrap my head around why someone would _intentionally_ want to play inconsistently. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/34 "2024-03-16T03:05:20Z")
Well, some people are just looking for a raw, loose sound. For instance, Meg White. Sometimes her playing is aggressively ahead of the beat. Sometimes it’s so far behind the beat it’s a dozen months pregnant. But you’d be waiting for that beat to finally hit. Could she be in a jazz fusion band? Ehh, maybe not. I haven’t heard anything out of her that makes me think she plays that style any better than I do. She was the perfect drummer for The White Stripes, though. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/35 "2024-03-16T03:43:40Z")
Eh, I let my feeling be known about Meg White in another thread and it created much ire. No desire to go through that again, despite just expressing my opinion. I’m an old school musician where we were taught that things like consistency and solid time were important. I don’t relate well to music that doesn’t have that, but I’m also not here to suggest what anyone else should like based on my antiquated ways. 🙂 I do appreciate you taking the time to explain the conversation though. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/36 "2024-03-16T03:46:49Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > I don’t relate well to music that doesn’t have that, but I’m also not here to suggest what anyone else should like based on my antiquated ways. 🙂 Hehehe, don’t feel bad. When I hear stuff I don’t like, I just hear Dr. Frankenfurter tell me, “I didn’t make him for YOU!” and move on with life. 🤡 ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624/37 "2024-03-16T03:48:36Z")
Good advice! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drummers-were-you-taught-not-to-gallop/998624.md?page=1)