Search
Home
News
Interviews
Lessons
Gear
Features Video Reviews Artists Contests Polls
Blogs
Tabs
Girls
Photos
Login | Login | Join
Paul Reed Smith
WTF
July Issue Videos
Shred Zeppelin: How to Play Like Jimmy Page Posted 01/09/2012 at 3:25pm | by Jimmy Brown
2
Comments
479
80
Login with Facebook
Share
Current Issue
GW Store
Subscribe
LATEST NEWS Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time, Round 1 — John Frusciante Vs. Omar Rodriquez ago Lopez 1 hour 24 min ago Slash Opens Up About the Writing Process for His New Album, 'Apocalyptic Love' 1 day 18
Though he's mostly revered for his hugesounding, eternally cool riffs, inventive altered tunings, acoustic fingerpicking masterpieces and otherworldly, ambient soundscapes, Jimmy Page also is one of the most i nfluential lead
ago hours ago
Review: The Afghan Whigs at New York City's ago Bowery Ballroom 1 day 18 hours ago Women's Music Summit Announces Special ago Pricing 1 day 18 hours ago
guitarists in rock. That his solos in such Led Zeppelin classics as "Good Times, Bad Times," "Heartbreaker," In honor of his 68th birthday, here's an analysis of Jimmy Page's style, by GW's Jimmy Brown.
"Rock And Roll" and "Stairway To Heaven" are so firmly etched in two generations of guitarists' memories is testimony to his compositional and
RELATED CONTENT
improvisational improvisational genius. [[ Be sure to check out the "How to Play the
From the Archive: Jimmy Page Discusses Tour and Album bum with with The Black Cro Crow wes Jimmy Page Dis Discusse cusses s His New Solo olo A Albu lbum m, 'Outrider,' and More in 1988 Guitar World Interview, Part 1 British MP Lobbying for Knighthood for Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page
Best of Led Zeppelin" DVD, available now at the Guitar Guitar World Online Store. ]] In this lesson, we'll examine the main technical elements and improvisational approaches that characterize Page's soloing style, and we'll look at some of his signature licks.
The Smear Box
Jimmy relies heavily on the minor pentatonic "box" pattern illustrated in FIGURE 1 for many of his licks, using mostly the top three or four strings. When he does go down to the bottom string, he'll shift positions with his middle or ring finger on the 5th string, as indicated here. FIGURE 2 shows this fretboard pattern in the key of E with the root note E falling on the top and bottom strings at the 12th fret. Using this visual pattern as a template, Jimmy will often begin a phrase by playing the Chuck Berry-influenced "smear" motif shown in FIGURE 3 in the key of E. This lick begins with a whole-step bend on the G string from the fourth up to the fifth (A to B). The bend is executed with either the ring or middle finger while the index-finger barres the root-fifth doublestop on the top two strings. Page utilizes this smear motif as a springboard to dive into blazing E minor pentatonic pentatonic speed licks like those shown in FIGURES 4-6. As you play through these figures, notice the use of pull-offs on the top three strings, as well as whole-step bends, such as from the minor third up to the fourth (G to A) on the 1st string at the 15th fret. You can hear Jimmy playing licks along these lines in his
Pop Evil Debut "Boss's Daughter" Music Video, Featuring Mick Mars and Playmate ago Jessica Hinton 1 day 18 hours ago Rush Guitarist Alex Lifeson Talks New Album, ago 'Clockwork Angels' 1 day 19 hours ago Linkin Park Debut New Song, "Lies Greed ago Misery" 1 day 19 hours ago
solos in "Good Times, Bad Times" (1:30), "Dazed and Confused" (3:52), "The Lemon Song" (1:51) and "Communication Breakdown."
CONNECT WITH GUITAR WORLD
Submit
FEATURED CONTENT
The Afghan Whigs:
Downtown Again Steve Vai Announces New Album The Story of Light to be released August 14 on Favored Nations
Veil of Maya: "The Glass Slide" Lesson Jimmy also uses these same types of repeating smear/pull-off
Guitarist Marc Okubo shows you how to play "The Glass Slide."
licks in different keys. For example, in his outro solo to "Black Dog" (4:12), he plays a lick similar to the one shown in FIGURE 6, but in the key of A using the 5th-position A minor pentatonic (A C D E G) box pattern illustrated in FIGURE 7. In his first two lead phrases in "Moby Dick" (:36 and :41), he uses
Aerosmith: "Legendary Child" Stream a brand new track from the legendary rockers.
this same fretboard shape in the 10th position (see Figure 8) to play scorching blues licks i n D minor pentatonic. Page utilizes this same fretboard shape to play major pentatonic licks as well. He does this by simply moving the minor pentatonic box pattern shown in FIGURE 1 down three frets, transforming it into a major pentatonic box pattern in the same key, as illustrated in FIGURE 9.
Write This Down: "Lost Weekend" Enjoy this exclusive premiere of "Lost Weekend," a new song by Write This Down.
If you compare the E minor and E major pentatonic box patterns depicted in FIGURES 2 and 10, you'll notice that the fingering patterns are identical, but that the notes assume different harmonic functions. This simple three-fret transposition enables Jimmy to transform minor pentatonic licks into major pentatonic licks (and vice versa) in the same key using the same fretboard shapes and fingering patterns.
IN THE MAGAZINE See what's inside Current issue on sale now! Click here to see what's inside the new issue and which songs are transcribed.
Buy it now! Now on the iPad Jimmy applies this transposition principle brilliantly in his "Communication Breakdown" solo. After playing several measures of rather dark sounding E minor pentatonic blues licks in the 12th position, he suddenly creates a lighter shade of blue by playing E major pentatonic licks using the exact same fretboard pattern in the 9th position. Page uses this same major pentatonic box pattern illustrated in FIGURE 9 to play bright-sounding country-style licks, most notably in "The Song Remains the Same" (in D, 7th position, at :58, and in A, 2nd position, at 4:19), "Celebration Day" (in C, 17th position, at 1:46, and 5th position at 1:53)
and "Houses of the Holy" (in A, 2nd position, at 1:11). FIGURE 11 is a signature Jimmy Page "wall of notes" triplet run played in the 12th-position E minor pentatonic box pattern illustrated in FIGURE 2. You can hear him playing similarly blistering runs, both ascending and descending, in "Good Times, Bad Times" (at 1:30, 2:02 and 2:33) using this same fretboard pattern. In "I Can't Quit You Baby" (2:29), he plays almost the same lick in A minor pentatonic using the box pattern depicted in FIGURE 7.
MOST COMMENTED ARTICLES Van Halen Reportedly Postpone Than 30 Concerts
20
CommentsMore 1
2
» Next
Drummer Bill Ward to Sit Out Black Sabbath...
12
CommentsUpcoming
Session Guitar: 10 Life-Saving CommentsSoloing Tips 7
Related
Black Sabbath Issue Statement Commentson Drummer Situation 5
Artists:
Topics:
Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page
Guitar World: July 2012 Videos
5
Coverdale/Page, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, Page & Plant, The
Comments
Yardbirds, Yardbirds, Lessons
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...
Jimmy Page Launches Official Website, JimmyPage.com, Today
March 5, 1967: Jimmy Page Begins Recording His Only Album with The Yardbirds
Creed's Mark Tremonti - How to Play "Higher" & Exclusive Shred Lesson
Soloing Strategies: Jimmy Page
GUITAR WORLD ON FACEBOOK
Here's What You’ll Get: Guitar World su Facebook
Current issue info Updates on our apps, specials and DVD products Awesome contests, articles, videos and more!
Mi piace Guitar World piace a 172,760 persone.
Submit
Walla
2
Comments
floodone April 14, 2012 at 8:43pm
I got to say that I now have a collection of Jimmy Page's music in my hands for my Gibson Les Paul. This should be fun and hard work well worth paying off.
Flood
jt1234
!"#"$
Sophie
Akash
Pröfèssør
Fuad
Joseph
!"#$% &
+ Add a Comment Aan
Sincerely,
Recommendations
Karrena
January 10, 2012 at 1:13pm
Jimmy Brown's stuff here always delivers the goods!! Thanks Jimmy - u the man. And thanks GW
Accedi
Devi accedere a Facebook per vedere i consigli dei tuoi amici
Slayer Launch "Reign In Blood" Brand Wine | Guitar World 726 persone consigliano questo elemento. Exclusive: Periphery Officially Announce July 3 Release Date for New Album | Guitar World 3.447 persone consigliano questo elemento. Session Guitar: 10 Essential Pieces of Gear for the Studio Guitarist | Guitar World
Log in to Guitar World directly or log in using Facebook
293 persone consigliano questo elemento.
Username: * Login with Facebook Plug-in sociale di Facebook
Log in using Facebook to share comments and articles easily with your Facebook feed.
Password: *
Login Forgot your username or password? Click here for help.
Don't have an account? Join Now.
Home
Interviews
News
Blogs
Subscribe
Features
Contests
About Us
Lessons
Gear
Artists
Girls
Store
Subscribe
Galleries
Advertising
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
RSS Feeds
Site Map
Customer Service
© 2012 Copyright 2012 © NewBay Media, LLC. 28 East 28th Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10016 T (212) 378-0400 F (917) 281-4704