About this recording
Led Zeppelin II · 1969 · Original album studio recording
Playing level: advanced · Theory level: beginner
Learn E minor pentatonic, then add the blue note. Leave enough space to hear the band answer the lead.
The scales at a glance
Compare the notes
Learn these shapes, then see how they help explain each solo below. Some are extra ideas for your own practice.
| Scale | Notes | Intervals | Use in this study |
|---|---|---|---|
| E Minor Pentatonic | E · G · A · B · D | 1 · ♭3 · 4 · 5 · ♭7 | Listening guide |
| E Minor Blues | E · G · A · B♭ · B · D | 1 · ♭3 · 4 · ♭5 · 5 · ♭7 | Listening guide |
Solo breakdown
Main solo
Guitar: Jimmy Page
Where is this solo?
The short guitar feature after the central sound-effects section, with gaps for the band’s answers.
E Minor Pentatonic
Listening guide
E minor pentatonic is the smaller map behind the blues-shaped phrases.
E · G · A · B · D
◎ Outlined dots = E, the home note.
Standard tuning (teaching setup) · frets 12–15 · high string 1 at top · toward nut →
These dots show where the scale notes are. They do not show the order of the solo.
Read the note positions
- String 1, fret 12: E, interval 1, root
- String 1, fret 15: G, interval ♭3
- String 2, fret 12: B, interval 5
- String 2, fret 15: D, interval ♭7
- String 3, fret 12: G, interval ♭3
- String 3, fret 14: A, interval 4
- String 4, fret 12: D, interval ♭7
- String 4, fret 14: E, interval 1, root
- String 5, fret 12: A, interval 4
- String 5, fret 14: B, interval 5
- String 6, fret 12: E, interval 1, root
- String 6, fret 15: G, interval ♭3
More about these scales
E Minor Pentatonic Listening guide
E minor pentatonic is the smaller map behind the blues-shaped phrases.
E · G · A · B · D
E Minor Blues Listening guide
E minor blues adds B♭ between A and B. Keep this extra note moving towards a more settled note.
E · G · A · B♭ · B · D
How the chords shape the solo
Chords and note choices
Listen for the landing note
Listening idea A call and response is a short phrase followed by an answer. Here, listen to the guitar and band as separate voices. The silence between them helps make the lead phrase clear.
Technique tips
Technique and phrasing
- bending: A bend raises a note by pushing the string across the fretboard. Play the target note first, then bend a lower note until it matches. Practice suggestion
Practice ideas
Try the ideas yourself
Original practice suggestions; these are not the recorded solo.
Try this slowly
Play a two-beat guitar question and tap a two-beat answer on the guitar body. Repeat the question with one different ending note, keeping the gap the same length.
Check: You can keep a steady pulse and hear the final note clearly.
A simple practice plan
Put the study into practice
- Listen to the chosen solo and identify its beginning and ending.
- Find the root notes: the notes the scale is named after. Say their names, then play them.
- Add one new note, or aim for a note from the chord. Make a short phrase of your own.
- Listen to the solo again. Can you hear where the phrase comes to rest?
Updated 2026-11-10
This analysis may contain errors or inaccuracies.