What is and What Should Never Be - Led Zeppelin | Guitar Lesson

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Learn how to play What is and What Should Never Be as recorded by Led Zeppelin, from their 1969 album "Led Zeppelin II". I'll cover Jimmy Page's rhythm and lead parts, and discuss a bit about the gear he used on it.

Recorded in January of 1969, this is actually right in the period when Led Zeppelin I came out, and to my ear this sounds more like 1st album than 2nd album which makes sense with the timing. Also - this means that he more than likely used his Telecaster on this, as he didn't get his famous 1959 LP Standard until mid 1969 - though he did have a black LP Custom already, but the sound of this is MUCH more Tele than Les Paul - so I believe this is a Tele song. Feel free to disagree.

Got a suggestion for a piece of a song to cover on an upcoming episode? Leave it in the comments, would love to hear ideas.

00:00 Demo intro section
01:36 Introduction
02:30 Song history / Jimmy's Telecaster
05:21 Getting your tone
08:09 Lesson - Rhythm guitar verse part
11:43 Lesson - Pre-Chorus - kicking it up a notch!
16:10 Lesson - Slide Guitar Solo (detailed parts)
22:37 Lesson - Slide Guitar Solo (demonstrated)
24:17 Lesson - Outro section
28:07 Final Thoughts

#guitarlessons #ledzeppelin #jimmypage #ledzeppelinII #ledzeppelin2 #whatisandwhatshouldneverbe

[wooferdevlin]

Jimmy modded his LPs w/phase and coil split to thin them out. I think Jimmy prefers the mystery so that for all time, the key to his sound is: you have to be Jimmy Page. BTW, the Black Beauty was stolen by baggage handler at MSP airport, 1970. Jimmy got it back after the guy's widow sold it to a dealer who, round about, did blacklight test. Also, your slide work on intro, stellar: loud and quiet phrasing, vibrato, and pup' switch. Awesome stuff, dude, keep on!! Ü♫

[peterdoiron]

I wish they still made music like this. Great lesson Doug.

[allrequiredfields]

Oh man, there's not a snowball's chance in hell he played this on his Tele. This is his Les Paul, though and through.

It's my all-time favorite guitar sound since I first picked up a guitar in 1992, and when I finally got to see the setup he used for II (in a video he made for the Metropolitan Museum of art exhibit he was a part of a few years ago) it absolutely blew my mind because I knew right then and there, that THIS was THE sound, and I finally got to see the guitar/amp set-up he used for 85% of II because the tone was so unique, there was simply no denying this was THE setup he used for II.

To be fair, I can understand why some might think it wasn't his Les Paul, as modern ones don't sound a ton like the vintage ones - and perhaps as important, the amp (sort-of combo) he used for most of II was a bizarre and exceedingly rare combo of the incredibly short-lived Vox 4120 head through the speaker cabinet of the equally rare Rickenbacker Transonic (a combination that will run you close to $20k today - if you can even find either of them) and not his Marshall which he actually purchased in the middle of recording II and can be heard on the solo-only of Heartbreaker.

Oh and you can see that video of him playing this setup on the Met video here on YouTube.

[silverwings]

Very few Guitar Artist actually play what they record when it comes to Lead Word. Years back I was watching a Creame reunion with Eric, Jack and Ginger.
I was excited to hear those incredible Leads of their Fresh Cream album. On every one of the original songs on that album Clapton just Jammed it!! I was
incredibly disillusioned. I heard an interview once with Joe Walsh. He was asked what is going thru his mind when recorning his incredible lead work. He
said he would always remember not to get to carried away do to the fact he was going to be called on to play it LIVE. He said Rocky Mountain High
was a CURSE he has had to live with his entire career. Said for him to pull it off all the stars had to be aligned each and every attempt.

[djhoneylove]

You are the fourth and IMHO most accurate lesson I have seen.

[islander]

This is great for a geezer like me who was hearing these guys early in high school. Love playing that A13-E9 rhythm part, the slide lead and the rest. Have to see if I can't get this all down. Thanks!

[markdesod]

I wonder how I missed this Classic Song??? Very nice!!!! Thanx Doug!!!

[stratman]

hey this is great....gonna really check this song out....haven't come across anybody "doing" this one as good as this...cheers mate...and thx

[ZigbertD]

I've got a Fender Vintera 50's Modded Tele, and I definitely think that 4th position in-series position is THE sound of early Zep. Pair it with the JHS Superbolt (Supro amp-style pedal) and I'm rockin' "Communication Breakdown" for days. Anyway, great lesson, this one of my very favorite Zep tracks, it's kind of unique in their catalog.

[Bob.Silverstein]

I agree with you. It sounds like a telecaster.

[richardclark.]

I knew I wanted to go thru this tonight so I already had the beginning dialed in on the neck of my LP. It sounded very close turned down. Then I just flicked to the bridge when needed. I have noticed page walks down that b chord a lot. Exactly the same part of Sick Again comes to mind but I find myself doing it every so often playing zep or Firm stuff.

[ifturnedouttobe]

This is so good it's off the 12 foot chain...Zeppelin II is hands down my favorite Zeppelin album...then of course Physical Graffiti...

[jeffmcelroy]

In Jimmy Page's book Anthology, on page 136 Page writes: I played the Les Paul on Whole Lotta Love and What is and What Should Never Be and that decided it for me. It was definitely going to be the Les Paul from then on...

[JasonT-xpkh]

I have a vague hazy memory of seeing some live footage of Jimmy playing this on the tele. Could be wrong though.
It would have been later on in their career maybe around the time of the Knebworth show?
The album sure sounds like a tele and I've always gotten the closest to the sound using my S1 equipped tele through a vox amp with some fuzz in front of it.
If you get a little creative you can mimic some of his les paul sounds with the same setup.
A lot of his sound relies more on playing technique than the particular equipment you're playing through.

[robmfk]

I’m late to the conversation but it sounds like a Les Paul to me. I have a book named Led Zeppelin All the Songs The Story Behind Every Track and it also says Les Paul. I do appreciate you breaking this song down though.

[Hallalo]

My Les Paul cs 1959 sounds like a Tele when I roll off the volume. Great video and Page used the number on on this song according to him

[douglasalexander]

Very well explained, and those variations were very helpful. Did he get that thick fuzzy sound from his tone bender pedal rather than a guitar mod ?

[denise]

I agree that isn’t a humbucker sound. I always trust my ear and seems to me you pretty much nailed it!

[aert]

Jimmy Page has a post on instagram that says he used the Les Paul on Whole Lotta Love and What is and What Should Never Be, that he built the first album around the Telecaster and the second album around the sonic texture of the Les Paul Standard

[damonfraser]

He did have the wiring changed. He didn't say how. It might have just simply rewired from the early full capacitor neck pu setting to the now normal 3 way switch. But it also could've involved series wiring. I believe he just referred to having the wiring fixed