Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. Jimmy Page is responsible for some of the most recognizable riffs, and some of the best guitar solos in music history. This band has influenced countless musicians and continues to inspire guitar players to this day.
Every guitar player needs to add a few Led Zeppelin riffs and songs to their repertoire. Fortunately, not all of them are difficult to play. It’s important for players to find songs they enjoy playing early on. I firmly believe having fun aids in the learning process. Playing along with the song tracks is also a great way to learn how to play in time.
Here are ten easy Led Zeppelin guitar songs to play, to get you started. These are in order from the easiest to the most difficult. There’s also a link to a video tutorial for each song.
1. Immigrant Song
Among the many easy Led Zeppelin songs to play, “Immigrant Song,” comes in at number one. This single rose up the charts in 1970 after debuting on the album, “Led Zeppelin III.”
It resonated with an entirely new generation after being featured in the 2017 film, “Thor: Ragnarok.” It was a perfect fit, with the song making references to Norse mythology.
“Immigrant Song,” is easy to play because it’s based on a simple, repeating riff. It’s one of the most iconic and easy Led Zeppelin riffs to play. The song is played in a standard guitar tuning. It’s a short song too, so start practicing and let loose your inner Viking.
2. Dazed and Confused
“Dazed and Confused,” is another one of the easiest Led Zeppelin songs on guitar. The most well-known version of the song debuted on Led Zeppelin’s first album in 1969, but its origin goes back further than that.
The song was written in 1967 by folk-rock musician, Jake Holmes. Jimmy Page played it frequently between 1967 to 1968 with his previous band, The Yardbirds.
If you just learn the rhythm parts, this is an easy tune to play. It starts with some harmonics, then goes into a slow and soulful line before ending in the main riff. Short, repetitive riffs and a lot of power chords make this one great for beginners. Once you get the main parts down, move on to the solo.
3. The Rain Song
If you’re looking for one of the easy Led Zeppelin acoustic guitar songs, give “The Rain Song,” a try. This tune debuted in 1973 as the second song on Led Zeppelin’s fifth album, “Houses of the Holy.”
It’s a long tune, clocking in at over seven minutes long, but don’t let that intimidate you. Once you get the basic chords down, you’ll be impressing listeners in no time.
“The Rain Song,” is played in an unusual tuning. Starting on the sixth string, and working your way to the first, tune your guitar to D, G, C, G, C and D. This is called a G suspended 4th tuning. A lot of the sections in this song repeat, making it easy to get to the seven-minute mark.
4. Tangerine
“Tangerine,” is yet another song in Led Zeppelin’s discography that’s great for acoustic-guitar players. It’s more of a folk song than a rock song and was originally played on a 12-string.
If you only have a 6-string handy, don’t worry, it can still be played in the same way. This song is a bit harder than “The Rain Song,” especially if you learn all of the parts, including the solo and slides.
The tempo of “Tangerine,” is faster than the previous acoustic song on our list too. This song was recorded in 1970. It appeared on the B-side of the album, “Led Zeppelin III,” which included a number of acoustic songs.
5. Stairway to Heaven
“Stairway to Heaven,” is played on both acoustic and electric guitars on the original recording. If you want to learn the entire song, including the electric-guitar parts, this song would be far more difficult and lower on the list.
Learning just the acoustic parts, however, puts it about right in the middle. The opening riff is one of the most-often learned and played pieces of music among guitar players.
“Stairway to Heaven,” was released on the band’s fourth studio album, simply titled, “Led Zeppelin IV.” The album debuted in late 1971. The song went on to be one of the most commercially successful songs of all time, getting a record amount of airtime on radio stations across Europe and North America.
6. Heartbreaker
This rock and roll classic debuted on the album “Led Zeppelin II,” in 1969. Its main riff is considered one of the greatest and most recognizable riffs in rock-guitar history. It sounds great, but it’s not too difficult to play. Learning this one is a great way to impress your family and friends.
Once again, if you stick to the rhythm parts, you’ll have this one down in no time. If you opt to learn the lead parts, it becomes a lot more difficult.
The solo was actually recorded alone by Jimmy Page in a different studio than the main track. The solo was improvised, making it difficult to emulate note-for-note. It also uses some tricky pull-off techniques.
7. Living Loving Maid
“Heartbreaker,” makes a seamless transition into “Living Loving Maid,” on Led Zeppelin’s second studio album from 1969. They almost seem like one extended song and often get played back-to-back on the radio. For this reason, if you’ve learned “Heartbreaker,” you’re practically obligated to learn this song too.
“Living Loving Maid,” has the subtitle, “She’s Just a Woman,” and is played in a standard tuning. If you know your G, A, D and E major open chords, you’ll figure out the opening riff in no time.
The bridge consists of a couple of barre chords and power chords, and by that point, you’ve almost learned the whole song.
8. Whole Lotta Love
“Whole Lotta Love,” is one of those songs that is instantly recognizable. It’s made up of a few repeating riffs that aren’t too difficult to learn and remember. The song also has a short but powerful guitar solo.
Like most of Jimmy Page’s solos, this one has a soulful, bluesy vibe. This is far from the most difficult solo to play, but you can’t take a pass on this one and stick to the rhythm parts, as they basically die down behind the lead.
This song was the opening tune on Led Zeppelin’s second album from 1969. It hit the highest point on the U.S. charts of any Led Zeppelin song, reaching number four on Billboard’s Hot 100. It stayed in the top 10 for 15 weeks.
9. Misty Mountain Hop
This Led Zeppelin song was featured on the “Led Zeppelin IV,” album, as well as on the B-side of the single release of “Black Dog.” It was a staple during the band’s concert tours from 1972 to 1973.
If you’re a new fan and have never heard this one before, take a listen and pay close attention to the lyrics. You might be surprised to discover that the band members were fans of “Lord of the Rings,” way before those Peter Jackson films.
This one is complex and contains many parts with subtle changes each time they’re played. The timing can be difficult to master too. Just take each small part and practice that before moving on to the next.
10. Houses of the Holy
The last of our easy Led Zeppelin guitar songs is “Houses of the Holy.” This song was the title track of the 1973 album that bears its same name.
Rumor has it that the band’s songs started getting more complex than ever at this time after most of the members installed sound studios in their homes. The entire album was produced by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.
The first two riffs won’t be too hard if you’ve learned any of the previous songs. They’re made somewhat more difficult than the riffs in our previous songs, with the addition of some fast little licks here and there. Playing along with the album will greatly help your timing and rhythm with this one!
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About the Author
Gustavo is a music teacher and classical guitar player from Brazil, currently residing in Dublin, Ireland. He holds a graduate degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the Federal University of Pelotas. In 2020, Gustavo successfully completed a Master's degree in Sound Engineering from the Academy of Sound in Ireland.