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Dancing Days by Led Zeppelin

Main Riff

The main riff has 2 guitar parts. Here’s what they sound like together:

Guitar 1

Guitar 2

Verse Riff

The verse riff also has two guitar parts. Here’s what they sound like together:

Guitar 1

Guitar 2

This guitar’s high E is tuned down one tone to D.

How To Play It

Guitar 1

There aren’t many technicalities in this part. The hardest thing will be the way your fingers will have to stretch to achieve the correct notes. We will attempt to break down these parts in the easiest way possible.

Part 1

To begin, You will be forming a basic power chord. To do this, place your 1st finger on the third fret of the “A” string. Place your 3rd finger on the fifth fret of the “D” string, and your 4th finger on the fifth fret of the “G” string. Play that once, and then play it once again without hitting the “G” string. Now, for your first little stretch, keep your 1st finger where it is, and attempt to place your 4th finger on the seventh fret of the “D” string. Once you feel comfortable with that, go back to playing the power chord on the third and fifth frets, not hitting the “G” string. Do that twice, and slide one fret to the fourth fret and the sixth fret on the “A” and “D” strings.

To play the second measure, you will need to keep your hands where they ended up in the end of the first measure, and play that two more times. Then, you will need to stretch a bit again. Leave your 1st finger on the fourth fret, and move your 4th finger to the eighth fret on the “D” string. Play that twice, and move back to the original power chord on the third and fifth frets that you played in the beginning.

Part 2

The third measure is a little easier because the stretch in it is the same as the first measure’s stretch. Start this measure by playing the last note from the second measure twice, and sliding like you did with your 4th finger on the “D” string. Now, move the 4th finger back to its starting position, and play the “D” string on the fifth fret once by itself. Play the third and fifth frets three times again to end the measure. Notice that except for the first measure, you seem to end up on the third and fifth frets throughout. (Just food for thought).

The fourth measure is much like the third measure. The beginning starts out the same way, up until when you had to slide to the seventh fret on the “D” string. Now, after you have slid to the “D” string on the seventh fret, you will go back to that third and fifth fret power chord that you began playing, and play that once. Slide that 4th finger once again to the seventh fret, and then this time instead of hitting the fifth fret on the “D” string like you did in the third measure, you hit the third fret on the “A” string once. End this guitar part’s measure by playing the third and fifth frets in power chord form one last time.

Guitar 2

Part 1

This guitar part is a bit more difficult, but still not the hardest. Start this riff by placing your 1st finger on the fifth fret of the “G” string, your 2nd finger on the sixth fret of the “B” string, and your 3rd finger on the seventh fret of the “high E” string. Play that twice. Notice here all you need to do is play the fifth fret on the “G” string, the “B” string, and the “high E” string with your 1st finger.

Play that once. For the last part of the first measure, you will just be playing a power chord on the sixth and eighth frets. Do this by placing your 1st finger on the “G” string, your 3rd finger on the eighth fret on the “B” string, and your 4th finger on the eighth fret on the “high E” string. Play that once.

In the second measure allow the last note you played from the first measure to ring through once. Now just barre your 1st finger over the sixth frets of the top three strings. Play that once, and go back to the first chord that you let ring in this measure. Play that twice. Notice that this next chord is barred on the sixth frets of the top three strings.

Part 2

For the third measure, let the note that you just played ring, and then use your 1st finger to barre the fifth frets on the top three strings, and then go directly back into what you started this measure with. Play the barred fifth frets on the top three strings again, and then go BACK AGAIN to how you started this measure out. Play that twice. To end this measure, simply barre the fifth frets on the top three strings again with your 1st finger.

The last measure is the same as the last chord that you played at the end of the third measure. Play it twice and this guitar part is finished!

Riff Resources

Complete Transcription To “Dancing Days” (PDF)

Complete Transcription To “Dancing Days” (Power Tab)