Led Zeppelin’s onstage interplay and improvisation are the stuff of legend. Here we delve into Page-inspired licks from the band’s iconic early-’70s live albums.
Chops: Intermediate
Theory: Intermediate
Lesson Overview:
• Learn how to play “over” the time while focusing on feel.
• Create phrases that cycle six notes over a 4/4 groove.
• Understand how Page used dynamics and improvisation in Zep’s live shows.
Click here to download a printable PDF of this lesson's notation.
As one of the quintessential live bands of the ’70s, Led Zeppelin always gave their classic songs a unique spin onstage. Jimmy Page’s ability to expand, develop, and reinvent his already iconic guitar solos was always a highlight of any Zep show. In this lesson, we’ll investigate trademark elements of Page’s live approach and draw inspiration from such live Zep recordings as The Song Remains the Same and How the West Was Won.
The studio version of “Whole Lotta Love” was baked in riffed-out glory along with Theremin and vocal effects, but when performing it onstage, Page took the opportunity to stretch the five-minute song into something much longer. Here, we’re not actually dealing with “Whole Lotta Love” at all—the band used the middle section to explore classic rockabilly and blues themes.
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Clocking in at just over 23 minutes, this version was recorded at the L.A. Forum on June 25, 1972. The whole middle section is a medley of sorts with the band touching on “Boogie Chillun,” “Let’s Have a Party,” and a few more.
This simple lick (Ex. 1) is in the spirit of the improvised call-and-response phrases Page and Plant would exchange in a slow, free tempo. Use an overdriven British amp setting, but dial back on your guitar’s volume knob to clean up the tone a bit.
Click here for Ex. 1
A call-out to either Eric Clapton or Freddie King, Ex. 2 is a Page-like take on a ferocious blues break that features an E9 chord and sliding double-stop sixths. Pay attention to the alternate picking markings—they’ll help you shift smoothly between notes on the low and high strings.
Click here for Ex. 2
Rockabilly played an important role in Page’s development as a guitarist and is the inspiration for the licks in this chorus of blues in E (Ex. 3). The opening is a multi-octave presentation of a simple E6 (E–G#–B–C#) figure that jumps around the neck. The second part of the lick is a quickly picked phrase that shows Page’s ability to work a pattern through the chord changes. Pick every note and don’t worry if you miss a few. The idea is to create a sense of reckless abandon that only comes from working at the very precipice of your technique.
Click here for Ex. 3
Whether in “Heartbreaker” or “Dazed and Confused,” Page was never shy about including unaccompanied solos in Zep’s live set. Ex. 4 shows how you can create a dramatic solo using some typical Page gestures—chiefly repetitive ideas to build tension. The blistering picking in the 32nd-note section is to be played as fast as you can muster, and then just a bit more! Accuracy is not the name of the game, so missing a few notes or hitting a clam is just part of the charm and adds to the overall frenzy. Those raucous raked patterns toward the end are classic Page-isms, as is the giant bend in the penultimate measure.
Click here for Ex. 4
Other than playing a custom double-neck to sold-out crowds in Madison Square Garden, what could be more fun than jamming out to a simple progression in A minor? Probably not much, so Page would take his sweet time and stretch out the “Stairway to Heaven” solo, which more than doubled in length live. Repetition is the name of the game in this 16th-note lick (Ex. 5). The idea itself is six notes long, so it shifts and rotates as it tugs against the 4/4 meter, achieving an almost hypnotic effect.
Click here for Ex. 5
Ex. 6 is based on a climbing idea that appears in many of Page’s solos and is adapted here to fit the chord changes. The lick finishes with another feature found in live “Stairway to Heaven” solos: the pedal-steel bend. At the end of measure 2, barre the 1st and 2nd strings with your fourth finger and hold it steady while executing the 3rd string bend against the double-stop. Let all three strings ring out together.
Click here for Ex. 6
“No Quarter” is a D Dorian (D–E–F–G–A–B–C) exploration, not far removed from the modal stylings of late ’50s jazz. In fact, many of Page’s licks would suit a good tenor saxophonist playing on “So What” or “Impressions.” While the studio solo is great, the live ones from the mid ’70s truly shine. This sliding lick (Ex. 7) comprises a three-note motif in a descending sequence. The pitch material is mostly D pentatonic minor (D–F–G–A–C), but there are a few hints of the full Dorian mode, thanks to the E in measure 1 and B in measure 2.
Click here for Ex. 7
Minor blues phrases work great over a Dorian vamp, as evidenced by Ex. 8. Page is an expert at huge bends, so to really capture his vibe, you’ll want to develop that skill, as illustrated in this example.
Click here for Ex. 8
A spirited lick that uses all seven notes of the Dorian mode, Ex. 9 features some classic Page bend-plus-pull-off figures. The trick is to smoothly bend and release and then immediately pull off to the lower note. Remember, Page likes to play way behind the beat at points, so focus on the notes and feeling rather than the rhythm.
Click here for Ex. 9
PG contributor Tom Butwin profiles three versatile - and affordable - acoustic guitars from Cort, Epiphone, and Gold Tone. These classic designs and appointments offer pro-level sound for an accessible price.
Cort Essence Series ES-GA4 Grand Auditorium Cutaway Acoustic Electric Guitar, Natural Semi Gloss (GA4NSG)
Epiphone Slash J-45 Acoustic Guitar - November Burst
The classic J-45 has been the choice of legendary musicians ever since it was first introduced in 1942. Known as The Workhorse, it is Gibson's most famous and most popular acoustic guitar model. Now Epiphone has released a new Inspired by Gibson"' J-45"' with all of the features players want, including all solid wood construction, a comfortable rounded C neck profile, 20 medium jumbo frets, the 60s style Kalamazoo headstock shape and a gorgeous Aged Vintage Sunburst finish. The Fishman® Sonicore under-saddle pickup and Sonitone preamp make this Workhorse stage-ready too. Optional hardshell or Epilite"' case available separately. A battery is not included. To power your pickup, you will need a 9-volt battery.
Gold Tone The Bell Acoustic-electric Guitar - Natural
Gold Tone’s Festival Series: The Bell stands out by blending classic craftsmanship with stage-ready versatility. Its all-solid wood construction—featuring a Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides—produces a rich, balanced tone that shines in any setting. The slope-shoulder design offers both comfort and clarity, perfect for fingerstyle or strumming. With a slim "D" neck, Fishman electronics, Grover tuners, and D’Addario strings, The Bell is crafted for players who demand tone, playability, and reliable performance—on stage or in the studio.
A beautifully realized mashup of two iconic guitars.
Reader: Ward Powell
Hometown: Ontario, Canada
Guitar: ES-339 Junior
I’ve always liked unusual guitars. I think it started when I got my first guitar way back in 1976. I bought a '73 Telecaster Deluxe for $200 with money I saved from delivering newspapers.
I really got serious about playing in 1978, the same year the first Van Halen album was released. Eddie Van Halen was a huge influence on me, including how he built and modded guitars. Inspired by Eddie, I basically butchered that Tele. But keep in mind, there was once a time when every vintage guitar was just a used guitar—I still have that Tele, by the way.
I never lost that spirit of wanting guitars that were unique, and have built and modded a few dozen guitars since. When I started G.A.S.-ing simultaneously for a Les Paul Junior and a Casino, I came up with this concept. I found an Epiphone ES-339 locally at a great price. It already had upgraded CTS pots, Kluson tuners, and the frets had been PLEK’d. It even came with a hardshell case. It was cheap because it was a right-handed guitar that had been converted to left handed and all the controls had been moved to the opposite side, so it had five additional holes in the top.
Fortunately, I found a Duesenberg wraparound bridge that used the same post spacing as a Tune-o-matic. I used plug cutters to cut plugs out of baltic birch plywood to fill the 12 holes in the laminated top. I also reshaped the old-style Epiphone headstock. Then, I sanded off the original finish, taped the fretboard, and sprayed the finish using cans of nitro lacquer from Oxford Guitar Supply. Lots of wet sanding and buffing later, the finish was done.
I installed threaded insert bushings for the bridge, so it will never pull out. The pickup is a Mojotone Quiet Coil P-90 and I fabricated a shim from a DIY mold and tinted epoxy to raise the P-90 up closer to the strings. The shim also covers the original humbucker opening. I cut a pickguard out of a blank and heated it slightly to bend it to follow the curvature of the top.
All in all, I'm pretty happy how it turned out! It plays great and sounds even better. And I have something that is unique: an ES-339 Junior.
The Gibson EH-185, introduced in 1939, was one of the company’s first electric guitars.
Before the Les Pauls and SGs, this aluminum-reinforced instrument was one of the famous brand’s first electric guitars.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of electric guitar in shaping American popular music over the last half-century. Its introduction was a revolution, changing the course of modern musical styles. Today, when we think of the guitars that started the revolution, we think of the Stratocaster and the Les Paul, guitars held against the body and fretted with the fingertips. But the real spark of this musical mutiny was the lap-steel guitar.
In the early 20th century, guitar music was moving out of the parlors of homes and into public spaces where folks could gather together and dance. Guitarists needed to project their sound far beyond where their wimpy little acoustic instruments could reach. Instrument manufacturers began experimenting with larger body sizes, metal construction, and resonators to increase volume.
Around this time, George Beauchamp began experimenting with electric guitar amplification. He settled on a design using two U-shaped magnets and a single coil of wire. Beauchamp was in business with Adolph Rickenbacker, and they decided to stick this new invention into a lap steel.
If we put on our 1930s glasses, this decision makes perfect sense. The most popular music at the time was a blend of Hawaiian and jazz styles made famous by virtuosos like Solomon “Sol” Hoʻopiʻi. Photos of Hoʻopiʻi with a metal-body resonator abound—one can imagine his relief at being handed an instrument that projected sound toward the audience via an amplifier, rather than back at his own head via resonator cones. Beauchamp and Rickenbacker were simply following the market.
As it turned out, the popularity of Hawaiian music gave way to swing, and electric lap steels didn’t exactly take the world by storm. But Beauchamp and Rickenbacker had proven the viability of this new technology, and other manufacturers followed suit. In 1937, Gibson created a pickup with magnets under the strings, rather than above like Beauchamp’s.
“When I plugged in the EH-185 I expected to hear something reminiscent of Charlie Christian’s smooth, clean tone. But what I got was meatier—closer to what I associate with P-90s: warm and midrange-y.”
The first page of Gibson’s “Electrical Instruments” section in the 1939 catalog features a glowing, full-page write-up of their top-of-the-line lap steel: the EH-185. “Everything about this new electric Hawaiian Guitar smacks of good showmanship,” effuses the copy. “It has smoothness, great sustaining power, and an easy flow of tone that builds up strongly and does not die out.”
Picking up the 1940 EH-185 at Fanny’s House of Music is about as close as one can get to traveling back in time to try a new one. It is just so clean, with barely any dings or even finish checking. Overall, this is a 9/10 piece, and it’s a joy to behold. Speaking of picking it up, the first thing you notice when you lift the EH-185 out of the case is its weight. This is a much heavier instrument than other similar-sized lap steels, owing to a length of thick metal between the body and the fretboard. The catalog calls it “Hyblum metal,” which may be a flowery trade name for an early aluminum alloy.
This 1940 EH-185 is heavier than other lap steels in its class, thanks to a length of metal between its fretboard and body.
Photo by Madison Thorn
There are numerous other fancy appointments on the EH-185 that Gibson didn’t offer on their lesser models. It’s made of highly figured maple, with diamond-shaped decorations on the back of the body and neck. The double binding is nearly a centimeter thick and gives the instrument a luxurious, expensive look.
Behind all these high-end attributes is a great-sounding guitar, thanks to that old pickup. It’s got three blades protruding through the bobbin for the unwound strings and one longer blade for the wound strings. When I plugged in the EH-185 I expected to hear something reminiscent of Charlie Christian’s smooth, clean tone. But what I got was meatier—closer to what I associate with P-90s: warm and midrange-y. It was just crying out for a little crunch and a bluesy touch. It’s kind of cool how such a pristine, high-end vintage instrument can be so well-suited for a sound that’s rough around the edges.
As far as electric guitars go, it doesn’t get much more vintage than this 1940 Gibson EH-185 Lap Steel. It reminds us of where the story of the electric guitar truly began. This EH-185 isn’t just a relic—it’s a testament to when the future of music was unfolding in real time. Plug it in, and you become part of the revolution.
Sources: Smithsonian, Vintage Guitar, Mozart Project, Gibson Pre-War, WIRED, Steel Guitar Forum, Vintaxe
J Mascis is well known for his legendary feats of volume.
J Mascis is well known for his legendary feats of volume. Just check out a photo of his rig to see an intimidating wall of amps pointed directly at the Dinosaur Jr. leader’s head. And though his loudness permeates all that he does and has helped cement his reputation, there’s a lot more to his playing.
On this episode of 100 Guitarists, we’re looking at each phase of the trio’s long career. How many pedals does J use to get his sound? What’s his best documented use of a flanger? How does his version of “Maggot Brain” (recorded with bassist Mike Watt) compare to Eddie Hazel’s? And were you as surprised as we were when Fender released a J Mascis signature Tele?