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Led Zeppelin - What Is And What Should Never Be - Chords - Guitar Lesson

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Key A major
Led Zeppelin - What Is And What Should Never Be - Chords guitar lesson video
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Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Led Zeppelin Rock A major
Capo Advisor 0 A major · Original key

About What Is And What Should Never Be - Chords

Few Zeppelin tracks demand as much dynamic range from a guitarist as this one. The song pivots between a hushed, finger-picked verse and an explosive, strummed chorus, and nailing that contrast is the real challenge here. The verse pattern asks for a delicate touch in A major, keeping the notes clean and controlled at a low volume, while the chorus hits hard with full open chords. Getting those transitions to feel natural takes repetition, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse-to-chorus shift slowed down until the jump in picking force becomes instinctive. Led Zeppelin built much of the song's tension on that quiet-loud contrast, so rushing the quiet sections will flatten the whole performance. Chord voicings through the verse also reward attention: some of the color comes from letting open strings ring against fretted notes, so accuracy in your fretting hand placement matters just as much as right-hand dynamics.

  • The song's verse relies on delicate fingerpicking in A major, demanding precise right-hand control to keep individual notes from muddying.
  • The hardest transition to nail is the sudden dynamic shift from the hushed picked verse straight into the full-strum chorus.
  • Letting open strings ring against fretted chord voicings is key to reproducing the song's characteristic harmonic color in the verse sections.

How to Play What Is And What Should Never Be - Chords

Key: A major · Tempo: 94 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 94 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Jimmy Page's 1958 Telecaster (gifted by Jeff Beck) delivered the bright, spanky single-coil attack that defined Led Zeppelin I's raw, bluesy edge. Its snappy treble cut through the mix on early tracks before Page switched to the warmer Les Paul for the band's heavier sound.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Page's 1959 Les Paul Standard with PAF humbuckers became the sonic backbone of Led Zeppelin from 1969 onward, its warm mahogany body and dynamic unpotted pickups creating the sustain-rich, touch-sensitive tone heard on 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'Black Dog.'

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

While Page primarily used the Les Paul Standard, a Custom's thicker body and tonal characteristics would complement his dynamic playing style, offering similar warmth with potentially enhanced bottom-end punch for Zeppelin's heavier arrangements.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

The Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexi was Page's primary amplifier from Led Zeppelin II onward, cranked past 7 for natural power-tube saturation and natural breakup that responded dynamically to his pick attack and volume knob control.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

Page deployed the Vox AC30 in the studio for cleaner, chiming tones and layering textures that added dimension to Led Zeppelin's arrangements, offering a vintage British tone that complemented the Marshall's aggression.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Page's Vox Cry Baby wah became iconic on 'Dazed and Confused,' its expressive sweep adding vocal-like character to his lead work throughout Led Zeppelin's catalog, integral to the band's psychedelic and blues-rock textures.

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