Learn the central riff of this Zep classic, including the rhythm, picking, fretboard theory, and more!
Playing a repetitive riff, over and over again, can be a great way to get some exercise for your left and right hands, as well as giving you an idea of where you are with the techniques involved. The main riff from Led Zeppelin’s masterpiece, “How Many More Times,” from their first album, is a perfect vehicle for this type of exercise. Let’s start by looking at how the riff works, and then I’ll give you some tips about practicing it. I recorded an in depth video that you can access below.
The riff is simple on the surface. There are five notes, played twice in the same order, but with a rhythmic variation the second time around. The notes are E – E – D – B – D. E and D are repeated, and the two Es are played an octave apart. This forms a “question-and-answer” structure. Take a look at the chart below.
The Big Box
The notes in question come out of the bottom part of the Form III Pentatonic Pattern in the key of E. I call this section or box from this pattern, The Big Box. I take this name from another box, which is known as the “high box,” from the older blues tradition. I feel that this box is very important and somewhat overlooked. It’s the source of many a great riff because of the easy access and the fact that the bass strings provide the necessary thick tone. The low, open E is taken from pentatonic pattern I in the open position. Other songs that use this combination include Purple Haze and Whole Lotta Love.
The Rhythm
The underlying rhythm is known as a shuffle or 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 but with each quarter note divided into three, or triplets. Long – short – long etc. The middle note of the triplet is usually left out of rhythm figures. The genius of the riff is how it places the triplet first on beat two, and then on beat four. This rhythm develops a tremendous amount of momentum. And that’s what rock and roll is about. It can be a little confusing to pick up at first. You have to listen closely.
Picking
The picking is a combination of mainly downstrokes and a couple of upstrokes. The pattern follows the rhythm exactly, with the downstrokes hitting on the strong beats, and the two upstrokes hitting the quick, triplet eighth notes that come on the second half of beat two in the first measure and beat four in the second measure. The pattern looks like this: Down, Down-Up, Down, Down/ Down, Down, Down, Down-Up. Take a look at the graphic above. I checked early live performances by Zeppelin to make sure I had the pattern right. I did and I advise you to take a look at these stunning performaces: Live in Denmark, 1969; and The Royal Albert Hall, 1970.
Practicing
A good method for practicing a piece is to warm up a bit, and then take a shot at the piece, warts and all. Just go for it. Then, work on the hard spots and details that you want to improve. After you’ve worked over the details, take a number of passes at the piece, riff or whatever you’re working on, and see where you’ve gotten. When you’re doing this, it’s extremely important to just keep on going if you make a small mistake, for instance, partially or even missing a note completely that you usually might get. Recovering from mistakes is a skill that you will have to develop to be an effective guitarist. It can also be very beneficial to slow the riff down for practicing. The song at full clip is faster than one might thing, a ferocious 146 BPM. Don’t try to play the rest of How Many More Times until you have completely mastered the main melodic riff.
The Sound
Try to practice with a cleaner sound at least part of the time. Add the distortion in later when you have a bit more control of the playing aspect. I used a Fuzz pedal for the demos, but any overdrive or distortion will work. Listen to the record and note that the main riff is cleaner than one might expect. I played it a little dirtier than necessary, probably because I just got a new fuzz pedal, the Electro Harmonix “Triangle” Big Muff, a replica of their first fuzz from around ‘69/’70. I couldn’t help it. Then I pulled out my Fulltone ’69 pedal because it was less noisy. I then made a mental note to try to replicate Jimmy Page’s tone a little bit more. We all try!
Big Muffs in general seem to have a lot of smooth bass. There are many versions but I definitely like this one, and Electro Harmonix is always a great value.
I decided to do this lesson because I put this amazing riff into one of my student handouts, thinking it was easy. I found that it was a little difficult for the total beginner to pick up, because of the rhythm. But I think there is much to be learned by beginners, intermediates, and even advanced guitar students. We’ve gone over the basic notes and fretboard positioning of the riff, the rhythm, the picking, and the sound. All of these aspects are worth investigating and working on, as opposed to just rote emulation of a YouTube video or tab. Dig in. If you’re a beginner, be patient. You could work on this for a week, a month, or a year. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Most importantly, have fun with it! -Christian Botta