"Ramble On"

Co-written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, "Ramble On" is the seventh track off of "Led Zeppelin II" and a perfect example of the "light and shade" that Page aspires to when creating music. The song itself was recorded at Juggy Sound Studio in New York City in 1969 while the band was touring the U.S. When I refer to the phrase "light and shade" I'm using Jimmy's definition of the principle of dynamics, and this song uses that principle in spades.

"Ramble On" begins with an almost jingly progression of open chords, then slams into the chorus with over-driven barred chords screaming over Plant's vocals. He accomplished this very easily in fact, and when I learned the secret myself I felt a bit stupid. For the opening clean bit, he plays using the neck pickup selected lightly brushing the strings with the volume turned down quite low, and for the chorus he makes a swift move to hit the selector switch down to the bridge which is set at full volume, and hits the strings with power. No pedals necessary! You can see for yourself what I mean in this clip of him playing the song from the documentary, "It Might Get Loud" below.

The lyrics, written by Robert Plant, are the first of a few Led Zeppelin songs to allude to the J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings". Specifically the lyrics, 'Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair/ But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her." This makes reference to the land of Mordor in the books where the evil lord Sauron, the Lord of the Rings, resides, and the creature Gollum, who found the ring after it had been assumed to have been lost.

There is a bit of a mystery around what specifically John Bonham uses to add the backing percussion throughout the track. Despite common belief, Bonham is not using bongos, and is regularly believed that he is hitting the underside of a plastic garbage can set between his legs. Other reports say it's his seat pad, or the soles of his shoes. The book "John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums" states that he used his bare hands on a hard case guitar. No one is really sure, and the matter has never been settled.

The inspiration for some of "Ramble On's" lyrics

The song had never been played by the band in it's entirety until 2007 at their reunion gig for Atlantic Records president, Ahmet Ertegun. The group did play snippets of it however in the middle of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" in Toronto in 1969, and again while the group played "Communication Breakdown in Vancouver in 1970. I had the unbelievable experience of hearing Robert Plant sing the song in 2011 while touring with the Band of Joy in Vancouver; they opened the show with this particular song.

For this song I played a Les Paul plugged into my Marshall Haze 40, and elected to not use a pedal, and try out Jimmy's dynamic technique which is a trick I intend to use in the future for sure!

The main clean riff is Riff.1.  This is the basic feel for the riff and 
you can add your own variations to make it sound more full.  The chord 
changes are E E5, E7sus4, Esus2 | A, Asus4, A, A9. 
 
Riff.1 
E-|---------------0----------|-----0----------------------0-------------------| 
B-|--9---------0--0----------|--5--5----5--5--5--5--5--5--5--------0----------| 
G-|--9---9--9--7--9----------|--6--6h7--7--7--7--7--7--7--6--6--6--6----------| 
D-|--9---9--9--7--7---0--0---|--7--7----7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--5--7-------| 
A-|--7---7--7--7--9---0--0---|--0--0----0-----0--0--0--0--------0-----7-------| 
E-|---------0------------0---|----------------------------------------0-------| 
                                                                                
Riff.1 
E-|--------------0---------0--------------|----0------------------------------| 
B-|--------9--9--0---------0--------------|----5----5-5-5---5---5--5--5----5--| 
G-|--7/9---9--9--7--7-7----9--9-9-9-------|-6--6h7--7-7-7-7-6h7-7--7--6h7--7--| 
D-|--------9--9--7--7-7-7--7--7-7-7--0--0-|-7--7----7-7-7-7-7---7--7--7----7--| 
A-|--9/11--7--7--7---------9---------0--0-|-0-----------0---0---0--0--0----0--| 
E-|-----------0-------------------------0-|-----------------------------------| 
                                                                                
                                                                                
Riff.2  is a clean electric fill during the lyrics, "Ah, sometimes  
I grow so tired, but I know one thing I've got to do!"  Riff.2 is 
the part played behind Riff.2 (electric).  The chord pattern is 
E, F#m7, G#m7 | A, F#m7, E. 
 
Riff.2 (electric) 
E-|-0---0-----0------------|-------------0---0---------|-0--------0-----------| 
B-|-0----0-0--0---0-0----0-|-0----0--0---0-0---0-------|---------0--0--0-0---0| 
G-|-11-----9--9-----9h11---|-7p6-----6p4---------------|b11(13)p9---9----9h11-| 
D-|------------------------|---------------------7p6---|----------------------| 
A-|------------------------|-------------------------7-|----------------------| 
E-|------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------| 
    ^play this measure the                              ^ extra addition to  
     first time -- goto the                               measure one to give 
     end measure after that                               the bend in the riff  
 
Riff.2 (clean)                                                                                
E-|-4---------------------------|--0----------------0-------------------------| 
B-|----------2------7-----------|--5-----------2----0-------------------------| 
G-|-1--------2------4--4--4-----|--6-----------2----1-------------------------| 
D-|----------2------4--4--4--0--|--7--7--------2----2-------------------------| 
A-|-2--2-----4------6--6--------|--0--0-0--7---4----2-------------------------| 
E-|-0-----0--2--0---4-----------|----------0---2----0-------------------------| 
                                                                                
 
These two riffs go on top of each other to make the sound more full.  These 
start at "Ramble on, now's the time, the time is now.  Sing my song..." 
 
Riff.3 (overdrive) 
E-|--------------------|-----------------------------2---2--3-----------------| 
B-|-9------------------|--3/5-----5--53---3--3------3---3--3-----------------| 
G-|-9--9--9--7--9-----|-------------------------0-------2--------------------| 
D-|-9--9--9--7--7-----|--5/7--------75------5--0----------------------------| 
A-|-7--7--7--7--9-----|------------------------------------------------------| 
E-|--------------------|------------------------------------------------------| 
                                                                                
Riff.3 (clean) 
E-|--------------------|-------0----------0---0----------2--3-----------------| 
B-|--------------------|----5--5--5--53--3---3----------3--3-----------------| 
G-|-9--9--9--7--9-----|-------0--0-------0---0--0-0-----2--0-----------------| 
D-|-9--9--9--7--7-----|----7--------75---------0-0-----0--------------------| 
A-|-7--------7--9-----|------------------------------------------------------| 
E-|--------------------|------------------------------------------------------| 
                                                                                
These riffs are for the first solo.  They harmonize quite nicely. 
 
Solo.1 (gtr1)                                                                                
E-|---------|-----------------------------12----------------------------------| 
B-|-15------|-15p14h15--15p14h15-15p14h15-----15-14-15------------------------| 
G-|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| 
D-|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| 
A-|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| 
E-|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| 
                                                                                
Solo.1 (gtr2)                                                                                
E-|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| 
B-|-12------|-12p10h12--12p10h10-12p10h12-14--12-10-12------------------------| 
G-|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| 
D-|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| 
A-|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| 
E-|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| 
                                                                                                                                                             
Here is the second harmonized solo. 
 
Solo.2 (gtr1) 
E-|-12-------------12-------------12------|-12--------------------------------| 
B-|---15-14-12-------15-14-12-------15-14-|---15-14-12----12-14--12-14--12-14-| 
G-|------------14-------------14----------|------------14---------------------| 
D-|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------| 
A-|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------| 
E-|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------| 
                                                                                
Solo.2 (gtr2)                                                                                
E-|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| 
B-|-14p12---------14p12---------14p12---|-14p12-------------------------------| 
G-|------14p11---------14p11---------14-|------14p11----11-14--11-14--11-14---| 
D-|-----------14------------14----------|-----------14------------------------| 
A-|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| 
E-|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| 
                                                                                                                                                           
This riff starts at the end of the second harmonized solo.  The first 
clean riff (Riff.1) is played behind Riff.4. 
 
Riff.4 (electric) 
E-|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| 
B-|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| 
G-|--------9--9--9---------------|------9-9--9--7---7-7-7---------------------| 
D-|------9-9--9--9-------9-9-----|-9h11-----11--7h9-----9--6-7----------------| 
A-|-9h11-----11--9--9p11-----11--|--------------------------------------------| 
E-|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|