Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
April 3, 2008 · Print This Article
Stairway to Heaven is undoubtedly the worst Led Zeppelin song there is and a strong contender for worst song of all time. “If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow don’t be alarmed/It’s just a spring clean for the May Queen.” Nevertheless, everyone has to learn to play the intro. I think it’s in the Bible. Or maybe the Bhagavita. Something like that.
There are a few low-G versions of the tab around like this version on ukulele tabs. That version works pretty well on re-entrant and has the advantage of being in the original key. The downside is that playing it on a high-G ukulele shifts some of the notes up an octave - it still sounds OK but Stairway is so well known, it’s difficult to get away with. For my version, I’ve transposed the tune up three frets (from Am to Cm) to accommodate the notes.
I assume you only want to play the intro, but you can pick up the chords for the song on Ukulele Boogaloo. Those chords are in the original key of Am. If you want them in the same key as the tab, a quick auto transpose and you have the Stairway chords in Cm.
If this is your first visit here, you can find the chords/tab in those posts by clicking on the song title in red.
Stairway to Heaven is the worst Led Zeppelin song??? no… not only is one of the best Led Zeppelin songs, its also one of the best songs in existence
Got to agree with Woody on this one. Before I got into Led Zeppelin and heard it, I assumed it was some mythic, near faultless rock song. It turned out to be a bit of a let down.
There must be loads of good ukulele-able parts on Led Zep 3.
Ryan: Everyone has their own opinion on the song. Judging by how popular it is, you’re probably in the majority.
Iain: Zep III is my absolute favourite Zep album. It’s a great mix of the rockers and the acoustic numbers and a great mix of the folk and blues influences.
Woody? Well I graduated H.S. in ‘79 and I think STH was played at every school dance. Slow and cuddly to start and then break out the insanity… I live in California so I always get the feed 11-11:30pm. I work from home and on my computer with a uke nearby. I always like your feeds with tabbed or chorded songs and have to grab the uke and give it a little test. I have been strumming for almost two years. I like it when you slip in a few unusual chords. Thanks again.
Speaking of Zeppelin, whatever happened with the reunion tour? How many shows did they play? Anyone get the chance to see them?
I was misinformed and thought they were scheduled to headline Bonnaroo this summer. Doesn’t look like that’s going to be happening.
I was given to understand that the Zep reunion show was a “one off” but there was a slim possibility that it might turn into more.
Learning Stairway was a big success for me as a 16 year old budding guitar player (back in the dark ages). I still like it but I don’t consider it either their best or worst.
I guess because Robert Plant will be at Bonnaroo this year some folks were having wishful thinking.
All in all, it would take a resurrection of Jimi Hendrix to get me to Bonnaroo. I’m all about the live music, but I can do without the crowds.
Wasn’t it after Plant wrote the lyrics for Stairway that Page gave the lyric writing over to him? I agree with Woodshed in that the lyrical content of the song is a bit on the lame side. Not unlike some of Jim Morrison’s prose. My favorite- “killer on the road, his brain is squirming like a toad”. Who was buying that crap?
Jeff: Glad I can distract you from more more important matters ;)
Lonna and Hobbit: I heard it was a one off as well. I think it’s unlikely that they’ll do a full tour. I can’t image they need the money. But there was that Page and Plant thing a few years back, which is near enough for me.
[...] Ever wish you could play the intro to Stairway to Heaven on a uke? Check out the tab and video at Ukehunt. [...]
Great riff to learn!…I would recommend for those who are working on it to use the index finger of the right hand to fret Cm (at the 3rd fret obviously) on measure one…In that way you can use the annular (4th finger) to press the 5th fret and the pinky (5th finger) to press the 6th fret….Leave your index at the Cm shape all along the first 2 measures….A little advise for beginners like me.
Great website!
Thanks for the tips and the kind words, drfrancov. That’s the way I play it, too.
Now try tab Free Bird. :)
Actually, the song makes perfect sense when you hear it backwards.
http://jeffmilner.com/backmasking.htm
CRAZY….
This is off key xD… at least i think so. It starts with 4th string 2 fret then strums down slowly then a string second fret and goes up
Austin: It’s not ‘off key’. It’s transposed. As I said in the post.
I’m sorry but saying STH is the worst LEDZEP song is like blasphemy. It’s not because it’s not as rock as the rest they made that it’s the worst. It’s their best song, it’s simple but efficient and it’s beautiful.
If I had to choose only one song to listen to for the rest of my life it would be Stairway to heaven because even backwards it still rocks !
unrealman: I don’t know how you can describe Stairway as ’simple’. It’s massively overwrought.
I like Stairway, but I will always prefer Kashmir.
Ivan: Agreed on the second part. Kashmir is great.
Wood- On guitar sth is pretty simple but when u first learn 2 play it u feel like your hot stuff. It is like a right of passage for guitarists. This is an amazing song Kashmir is great but to long