Stairway to Heaven
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant

Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV
1971
All guitarists try to play Stairway at one time or another in their lives.
It was one of the first songs I tried to play.  Well, I am going to do a
basic acoustic version.  The intro is basically the whole song except for
two other parts that are much shorter and easier to play.  Have fun, enjoy
this, and keep at it because if you know how to fingerpick this isn't hard.

Lyrics


Here's the intro. It also basically continues under the verse, with a few changes. Jimmy fingerpicks this (there is NO way you will play this with a pick). Am G#b5 C/G D Fmaj7 G Am + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-------5-7-----7-|-8-----8---------|-0---------0-----|---.---------------------| B:-----5-----5-----|---5-----7-----7-|---1---1-----1---|-0-1-1-------------------| G:---5---------5---|-----5-----7-----|-----2---------2-|-0-2-2-------------------| D:-7-------6-------|-5-----------7---|-3---------------|-------------------------| A:-----------------|---------5-------|-----------------|-2-0-0-------0---7/8-7---| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------------| Am G#b5 C/G D Fmaj7 G Am + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-------5-7-----7-|-8-----8---------|-0---------0-----|---.-------------| B:-----5-----5-----|---5-----7-----7-|---1---1-----1---|-0-1-1-----------| G:---5---------5---|-----5-----7-----|-----2---------2-|-0-2-2-----------| D:-7-------6-------|-5-----------7---|-3---------------|-----------------| A:-0---------------|---------5-------|-----------------|-2-0-0-------0-2-| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| C D Am C G D + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-------0-2-----2-|-0-----0-------------|-------0-3-----3-|-3p2-2-2---------| B:-----------3-----|---1-----0h1---------|-1---------0-----|-----------------| G:-----0-------2---|-----2-------2-------|---0---------0---|-----------------| D:---2-----0-------|---------------------|-----2---0-------|-0-----0---------| A:-3---------------|-0---------------0-2-|-3---------------|-------------0-2-| E:-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|-----------------| C D Am C D Fmaj7 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-------0-2-----2-|-0-----0-------------|-------0-------2-|-0-0-0-----------| B:-----------3-----|---1-----0h1---------|-1-----------3---|-1-1-1-----------| G:-----0-------2---|-----2-------2-------|-----0-----2-----|-2-2-2-----------| D:---2-----0-------|---------------------|---2-----0-------|-3-3-3-----------| A:-3---------------|-0---------------0-2-|-3---------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Here is the only major change of the intro during the verse. This comes after the line "Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven." Am G#b5 C/G D + + + + + + + + e:-------------5---7-------7-------|-------8-------------------------| B:---------5-----------5-----5---5-|-----5---5-------------7---------| G:-----5-------------5---5-----5---|---5-------5---------7---7-------| D:-7---------------6---------------|-5-----------5-----7-------7-----| A:---------------------------------|-----------------5-----------5---| E:---------------------------------|---------------------------------| Fmaj7 G Am G/B + + + + + + + + e:-------0---------------0---------|------------------------^3-------| B:-----1-----1---------1---1-------|-0---1---1--------------^3-------| G:---2---------------2-------2-----|-0---2---2--------------^0-------| D:-3---------------3-----------3---|------------------------^0-------| A:---------------------------------|-2---0---0--------------^2-------| E:---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
This is the middle section. It keeps appearing along with the next part: Oooooh and it makes me wonder Am7 G D + + + + + + + + e:-0---0-0-0---0-------0-----------|-----2-------2---2-----2-2---2-2-| B:-1---1-1-1---1-------1-------3---|-----3-------3---3-----3-3---3-3-| G:-0---0-0-0---0-------0-------0---|-----2-------2---2-----2-2---2-2-| D:-2---2-2-2---2-------2-------0---|-----0-------0---0-----0-0---0-0-| A:-0---0-0-0---0-------0-----------|---------------------------------| E:---------------------------------|---------------------------------| Am7 Em D C D + + + + + + + + e:-0----0-0-0----0-------0-------3---|-----2-------0-------2-----------| B:-1----1-1-1----1-------1-------5---|-----3-------1-------3-----------| G:-0----0-0-0----0-------0-------4---|-----2-------0-------2-----------| D:-2----2-2-2----2-------2-----------|-----0-------2-------0-----------| A:-0----0-0-0----3-------3-----------|-------------3-------------------| E:-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
The other part of the middle section. When it ends, go back into the first part. C G/B Am C G/B G Am + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----0-------3---|---------0-------|-----0-------3---|---0-------------| B:-----1-------3---|-------1---1-----|-----1-------3---|---1-------------| G:-------0-------0-|-----2-----------|-------0-------0-|---2-------------| D:---2-------0-----|---2-------------|---2-------0---0-|---2-------------| A:-3-------2-------|-0-----------0-2-|-3-------2-----2-|---0---------0-2-| E:-----------------|-----------------|---------------3-|-----------------| C G/B Am C G/B G Am + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----0-------3---|---------0-------|-----0-------3---|---0-------------| B:-----1-------3---|-------1---1-----|-----1-------3---|---1-------------| G:-------0-------0-|-----2-----------|-------0-------0-|---2-------------| D:---2-------0-----|---2-------------|---2-------0---0-|---2-------------| A:-3-------2-------|-0-----------0-2-|-3-------2-----2-|---0---------0-2-| E:-----------------|-----------------|---------------3-|-----------------| C G/B + + + + e:-----0-------3---| B:-----1-------3---| G:-------0-------0-| D:---2-------0-----| A:-3-------2-------| E:-----------------|
This is the bridge to the solo. Play the first two measures the first time: C G/B D + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----0-------3---|-2---------------0-2-|-3-------0-2-3-------0-2-|-3--3---2----| B:-----1-------3---|-3---------------3-3-|-3-------3-3-3-------3-3-|-3--3---3----| G:-------0-------0-|-2---------------2-2-|-2-------2-2-2-------2-2-|-2--2---2----| D:---2-------0-----|-0---------------0-0-|-0-------0-0-0-------0-0-|-0--0---0----| A:-3-------2-------|---------------------|-------------------------|-------------| E:-----------------|---------------------|-------------------------|-------------| 3/4 bar C Cadd9 C C/G Cadd9 C + + + + + + + + + e:-0-----0-0-----0-0-0---------0---|-------0-0-----0-0-0---------0-2-| B:-1-----1-3-----3-3-1---------1---|-------3-3-----3-3-1---------3-3-| G:-0-----0-0-----0-0-0---------0---|-------0-0-----0-0-0---------2-2-| D:-2-----2-2-----2-2-2---------2---|-------2-2-----2-2-2---------0-0-| A:-3-----3-3-----3-3-3-------------|-------3-3-----3-3-3-------------| E:-----------------------------3---|---------------------------------| D + + + + + + + e:-3-------0-2-3-------0-2-|-3--3---2----| B:-3-------3-3-3-------3-3-|-3--3---3----| G:-2-------2-2-2-------2-2-|-2--2---2----| D:-0-------0-0-0-------0-0-|-0--0---0----| A:-------------------------|-------------| E:-------------------------|-------------| 3/4 bar C Cadd9 C G + + + + + + + + e:-0-----0-0-----0-0-0-------------|-3---3---3---3---| B:-1-----1-3-----3-3-1-------------|-3---3---3---3---| G:-0-----0-0-----0-0-0-------------|-0---0---0---0---| D:-2-----2-2-----2-2-2-------------|-0---0---0---0---| A:-3-----3-3-----3-3-3-------------|-2---2---2---2---| E:---------------------------------|-3---3---3---3---|
Here is the guitar behind the solo. It repeats OVER AND OVER lots of times: Am G F G + + + + + + + + e:-5---5-----------3---3-----------|-1---1-1---1-1-----1---1-1---3---| B:-5---5-----------3---3-----------|-1---1-1---1-1-----1---1-1---3---| G:-5---5-----------4---4-----------|-2---2-2---2-2-----2---2-2---4---| D:-7---7-----------5---5-----------|-3---3-3---3-3-----3---3-3---5---| A:-7---7-----------5---5-----------|-3---3-3---3-3-----3---3-3---5---| E:-5---5-----------3---3-----------|-1---1-1---1-1-----1---1-1---3---|
LYRICS:
There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold And she's buying a stairway to Heaven When she gets there she knows if the stores are closed With a word she can get what she came for There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings Ooooh and she's buying a stairway to Heaven In a tree by the brook there's a songbird who sings Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven There's a feeling I get when I look to the west And my spirit is crying for leaving In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees And the voices of those who stand looking And it makes me wonder And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune Then the piper will lead us to reason And a new day will dawn for those who stand long And the forests will echo with laughter And it makes me wonder If there's a bustle in your hedgerow don't be alarmed now It's just a spring-clean for the May-Queen Yes there are two paths you can go by but in the long run There's still time to change the road you're on And it makes me wonder Your head is humming and it won't go in case you don't know The piper's calling you to join him Dear lady can you hear the wind blow and did you know Your stairway lies on the whispering wind And as we wind on down the road Our shadows taller than our soul There walks a lady we all know Who shines white light and wants to show How everything still turns to gold And if you listen very hard The tune will come to you at last When all are one and one is all To be a rock and not to roll

Created on 6-1-97 by
Daniel E. Smith.