Rain Song (Intermediate Tutorial)

A not so Note Perfect version - but this Zepplin clasic is really not as difficult as it may appear (at least not if you play it like this!!). Over time you will add your own embelishments to make it sound great. it's in alternative tuning (DGCGCD) but don't be put off - that's why these rock gods have 20 guitars on stage!!!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Led
• Zepplin
• Gerry
• Kane
• Rain
• Song
• Tutorial
• Intermediate
• guitar
• Alternative
• tuning
• DGCGCD

[mjw9363]

you miss the beautiful chime the correct tuning has...and like jimmy said to me...he was a little embarrassed to show how to play it cause once your in the correct tuning it's just 2 finger chording..easy as he put it

[gerrykane2]

Hey - as I say - we'd love to see it! I looked at the tuning you suggest and the fingering JP uses would be miles off - so I really would like to see it done.

[mjw9363]

your tuning is wrong...period. I interviewed Jimmy Page In 1995 and he gave the CORRECT tunning...DADADE....nothing but the low E goes down...the G goes up to A and the B goes up to D...don't teach people the wrong way

[gerrykane2]

@mjw9363

Fully understand that - however - as stated - this is NOT note perfect - if you want to post your version of this tuorial - we'd love to have it! Thanks for the comment.

[diogociparrone]

Thanks for the tutorial, it really tought me how to play this song. Diogo

[gerrykane2]

Glad it helped. Like your posting too!

[mjw9363]

@dannon2010 any difference in key from studio vs live is just the whole guitar being tuned up or down a step..That is the proper tuning...you'll see

[mjw9363]

@dannon2010.I will look for the mag...I never have to refer to it because I KNOW it..I tune to the rain song tuning every time I'm gonna change my strings in a few day..I don't like tuning up so high then back down then back up...stretches your strings out...Now, off the top off my head..Tune (low to high) to D A D A D E..Go to your 7th fret..do a reverse rake while you fret the 2nd and 4th strings..then strum a little..then slide down 1 to the 6th, repeat..and so on

[dannon2010]

@mjw9363 I will inquire for "guitar world 1994". I would like to find it. Do you have the title of the article? So, can we agree that there were differences in tuning between live and the recorded version? Assuming we do agree upon that, what did he use live?  Where can I find the shapes for DADADE Rain song? I'm gonna play this. I'd have to hear it, definitively played in DADADE, compared to the original recording vs DGCGCD. Jimmy MAY be pulling legs, but I'd have to play it or hear you.

[mjw9363]

@dannon2010 "Sounding" to you dead on and being the actual way it's played can be two different things...I don't have time to teach you how an "A" ringing throughout unfretted is different than a fretted "A" although on a tuner they are the same..look Dude....I have a magazine RIGHT HERE "guitar World" from 1994 where they interview Jimmy himself about all of this...SO..Do you REALLY think you would know it better than him!?? NOPE.....So???...what then??...Are people gonna argue Jimmy is wrong?

[dannon2010]

@mjw9363 I did take it from wiki...and from about 50 other places...I'm still waiting to hear your version. Listen I don't care THAT much, and I'd be more than happy to eat crow, if I thought you were right...and I'm open for being convinced otherwise, I REALLY am...don't give yourself a fucking stroke in the process though. Calm down, really...find it, and I'll tune my guitar correctly..in the meantime, I'm sticking to D-G-C-G-C-D, because it SOUNDS correct. FYI.. I can nail 440 A dead on.

[mjw9363]

@dannon2010 and nice stealing your words from Wiki...problem is...Wiki is wrong...I'm searching for a copy of PAGE'S OWN WORDS on the ACTUAL way it is tuned...I'll be back

[mjw9363]

@dannon2010 WRONG Numb nuts......Not EVEN close...again IDIOTS....I have the written fucking interview with PAGE RIGHT THE FUCK IN FRONT OF ME!!!..Fucking, Know it all......I have been performing this song for 20 years AFTER....AFTER..I heard the tuning from JIMMY PAGE'S OWN F-ING MOUTH.......FUCK!!!!!...I could tune every string wrong on my guitar and still strum out a "E"..doesn't mean it's tuned correctly....IDIOTS!!

[dannon2010]

@mjw9363 The alternate tuning used for "The Rain Song" on the 6-string neck was Asus4 (E-A-D-A-D-E) - a step higher than the album cut, which is the "Open page" alternative guitar tuning (D-G-C-G-C-D). While it required Plant to sing in a higher key, it necessitated a tuning change of only two strings (the B and G) on the EDS-1275, whereas the song's original key would have required the tuning of five strings.

[mjw9363]

@dannon2010 "actually" YOU'RE wrong my friend..you just can't hear the difference apparently....I have played this song SPOT ON for almost 20 years....AFTER hearing directly from the man himself the tuning..Yes the KEY live vs LP are different sometimes but the tuning is what I am talking.....unless you know more than Jimmy Page about his own recording and playing of this song. You can cover this song w/ the wrong tuning and no one might tell..it's called "Transposing"..doesn't sound the same

[dannon2010]

@mjw9363 actually you're wrong...Jimmy used the tuning D-G-C-G-C-D for the recorded acoustic guitar on Houses of the Holy...LIVE he used different tuning, but for the recorded version, which is what we are familiar with, and are attempting to learn, the tuning is correct. If you're convinced you have it right, do it the way you see it as it should be, record it on video, post it, and I'll be happy to eat some crow.