Stairway to Heaven Tabs

Nearly all classic rock guitarists come to a point in their lives when they need to find Stairway to Heaven tabs. The reason for this is simple: Stairway to Heaven is arguably the most popular classic rock song ever recorded. Along with Hotel California and Freebird, Stairway to Heaven completes the classic rock triumvirate that defines the genre. From the opening acoustic guitar melody, through the extended guitar solo in the middle break, to the driving riff the fuels the climactic coda, this epic rock anthem will both challenge and thrill you to your musical core.

Admittedly this is not an easy song to play, but if you really want to call yourself a rock and roll guitarist, you're going to need to learn how to play Stairway to Heaven. The following information provides a brief history of the song and a series of resources to help you on your way towards learning how to play one of the most definitive rock songs of all time.

Even though Led Zeppelin's masterpiece is today considered one of the most popular songs in the history of rock music, it was interestingly never released as a single. Stairway to Heaven was written by guitarist Jimmy Page and singer Robert Plant. It was recorded in 1970 for the band's incredibly successful fourth album, a record that has since sold over 23 million units. While the album was untitled, it is usually referred to as Led Zeppelin IV although it has also gone by the names Four Symbols and Zoso, both of which refer to the four symbols that grace the record's label.

Led Zeppelin's catalogue has a number of notable hits including Black Dog, Ramble On, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, What Is and What Should Never Be, Cashmere and many more. However, it's Stairway to Heaven that effectively distills the essence of the band into one song. The way the song evolves through several movements highlights the ambition and prowess of Page and Plant's songwriting. The beautiful acoustic guitar and Mellotron introduction reflects the band's more delicate work as heard on Led Zeppelin III, but the song slowly builds through the second verse when John Bonham's unmistakable back beat and John Paul Jones' melodic bass playing combine with Page's colorful electric guitar chords to create a perfect mid-tempo rock ballad.

However, this epic is only half over at this point, as Page's incendiary electric guitar solo shifts the song into overdrive and launches it into the classic climax where Plant's lyrics Where all is one and one is all/To be a rock and not to roll put an exclamation point on over eight minutes of rock and roll greatness. By the time Stairway to Heaven winds down and returns to the acoustic guitar that serves to beautifully bookend this monumental composition, it is clear to even the most casual listener why this song has become Led Zeppelin's signature work.

Check out the following sites where you can find excellent Stairway to Heaven tabs. Some tabs are transcribed better than others, so look around. It may take studying several transcriptions to put together a comprehensive tablature picture for this ambitious song.

Ultimate-Guitar does a good job with its Stairway to Heaven transcription. In fact, the complete tablature to this song is as extensive as the melody itself, so take your time working through it. The first section of tablature is the main body of the song, with some of the lyrics sprinkled through it to help you remember exactly where you are. The second section focuses on Jimmy Page's solo. Here you'll find tablature as well as chords. The third section tabs the accompanying slide riff, followed by further playing instructions from the tabber. Finally, you reach the tablature for the end of the song, followed by a full set of lyrics. Just when it seems you're finished, the tabber includes several more versions and tab instructions. Although the bass tab hasn't yet been added to this extensive work, the tabber promises it is coming.

Guitare Tab offers another very detailed tab. In fact, it appears to be the work of the same tabber at Ultimate-Guitar, but this version doesn't offer quite as much info this time around. Still, it's a good representation of the song, and the lyrics are integrated into the transcription so you can tell where you are in the song.

Magic Tab is a very interesting site that takes a slightly different approach to presenting its tabs. The song is divided into the following sections: intro, couplets, refrains, solo, questions (refers to lyrics), breaks and fin (ending). When you select one of the breakdowns, the tabs for that section are presented and the audio from the song is played. A scroll bar follows along with the music so you know exactly what you are supposed to be playing at any particular time. The sections are also very short, so you can learn the song in bite sized pieces. Magic Tab is a great site to help you get started learning Stairway to Heaven. Just be aware of one thing; you won't get the tab for free. After the teaser intro, you get a pop up screen asking for payment to learn the rest of the song. If you like the format at this site, it may be worth paying for. However, you can find the tabs for free so keep that in mind.

When working on this particularly lengthy tab, make sure you have a copy of the song handy while you practice. You'll be rewinding many times, so make sure you are playing the music in a format that is easy to stop, pause and rewind. Some CD players and MP3 players also allow you to slow down the music to half speed. This is very helpful when trying to figure out fast or difficult sections. Stay focused and patient! No matter how good the Stairway to Heaven tabs are, this is a difficult song that will take a long time to perfect. When you finally arrive at the moment when you can play this great song all the way through, it will be a real accomplishment that will make you feel proud.

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