The ULTIMATE Stairway To Heaven Chords And Guitar Lesson (Led Zeppelin)

Behold... the forbidden riff.

I’m thrilled to announce a brand new series of posts where I’m going dive deep into the guitar style behind “Stairway To Heaven”. We’re going to go slow and leave no stone unturned. 

So get excited, grab your axe, and let’s dive into this "Stairway To Heaven" chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Stairway To Heaven?

“Stairway To Heaven” was co-written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant – the guitarist and lead vocalist for the legendary rock band Led Zeppelin. 

They wrote the song in 1970 while they were staying at Bron-Yr-Aur, a remote cottage in Wales. It started with the guitar instrumental Page had already composed and the Plant developed the lyrics and melody around it. Plant described the lyrics as reflective of a journey and a warning against materialism, touching on the idea that chasing the wrong things in life can lead to spiritual emptiness. This journey is symbolized by the “stairway,” suggesting a path to enlightenment or transcendence.

The famous line, “Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run / And there’s still time to change the road you’re on,” has resonated with listeners as a message about choices and the potential for redemption.

“Stairway To Heaven” was released in 1971 on Led Zeppelin IV. It’s been praised as not only as a rock guitar masterpiece but also as one of the greatest songs ever recorded.

This legendary tune was recorded at Island Studios in London and partly at Headley Grange, a historic English country house. Page used a Fender Telecaster for most of the track.

The whole song builds from a soft acoustic introduction to a full-blown rock anthem. Showcasing the band's versatility and masterful musicianship. John Paul Jones, the band’s bassist and keyboardist, added a memorable recorder arrangement that opens the song, contributing to its mystical vibe. 

Also, John Bonham enters on drums only partway through the song, adding to the song’s gradual build-up. 

I heard Page say in an interview one time that they wanted the song to be like sex. Starting slowly and then gradually building to the song’s climax.

“Stairway to Heaven” has received numerous accolades and remains a staple of classic rock radio. Despite never being released as a single, it became one of the most-requested and best-loved rock songs in history. Rolling Stone ranked it high on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and it has been included in countless “best-of” lists across music publications.

The guitar solo has also often been cited as one of the best of all time, with guitarists around the world regarding it as a rite of passage to learn. Guitar World readers voted it the greatest guitar solo of all time, and it still remains highly influential.

Another interesting piece of info is the “no Stairway” joke from the movie Wayne’s World. In one scene, a guitar store has a “No Stairway to Heaven” sign. This humorously pokes fun at how often the opening chords were played (and overplayed) in guitar shops worldwide.

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Stairway To Heaven?

The tuning for "Stairway To Heaven" as recorded by Led Zeppelin is standard tuning.  

Jimmy Page kept things simple.  

Standard tuning for a guitar is spelled out as EADGBE.  

Here are the strings: 

• E (6th string, lowest pitch)
• A (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• E (1st string, highest pitch) 

Next, let’s talk about the…

Stairway To Heaven Chords

To play "Stairway To Heaven" there are many chords and shapes you need to know. However, some of the most iconic ones are the first 7. They are Am, Am9(maj7), Am7/G, D/F#, Fmaj7, G/B, and Am (version 2). All of these chords except the last 2 are played from the 4th string down. Let’s take a look at a few options for how they might appear on the fretboard.

Am is played in 5th position like this: 

Am9(maj7) makes a subtle change from the first Am and uses contrary motion. In music theory, contrary motion is when two musical lines or voices move in opposite directions. As one line ascends, the other descends, and vice versa. This technique creates a powerful sound and can add a sense of movement and tension. 

Am7/G continues this trend of contrary motion like this:

D/F# shifts down to the 2nd position like this:

Fmaj7 keeps walking down the fretboard. This shape has a slightly jazzier sound and is played in 1st position like this:

Then finally we have G/B and an alternate variation to Am like this:

These chord shapes make up an iconic minor chord progression that’s used in millions of songs. For example, “Something” by the Beatles, “My Funny Valentine” by Rodgers and Hart, "Old Love” by Eric Clapton, and of course “Taurus” by Spirit.

Which in 2016 resulted in a law suit that gained significant attention when it went to trial in 2016. Led Zeppelin's legal team argued that the chord progression was a common musical motif, which did not warrant copyright protection.  

In the trial, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant testified, defending their creative process and denying that “Taurus” influenced “Stairway to Heaven.” Page testified that he had only heard “Taurus” after the lawsuit was filed and emphasized that the opening progression of “Stairway to Heaven” was a common musical structure. Which I pointed out above as well, it’s used in millions of songs.

The jury ultimately ruled in favor of Led Zeppelin, finding that while there were some similarities between the two pieces, they were not sufficient to prove copyright infringement.

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard and want to learn it faster and in the simplest way. Then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here now:  

All right, now that you know the "Stairway To Heaven" chords, let’s now talk about…

What key is Stairway To Heaven in?

"Stairway To Heaven" as recorded by Led Zeppelin is in the key of A minor. While there are times throughout the song you hear elements of C major – the relative major. The predominant key is A minor.  

Have you ever wondered…

Is Stairway To Heaven easy to play on guitar?

No “Stairway To Heaven” is not easy to play. You will need to have many advanced guitar skills in place like fingerpicking, being able to switch to strumming, soloing and playing chords up and down the neck. However, the intro is a fun piece to practice and with practice a late beginner to intermediate player could get it down in a decent way.

Stairway To Heaven Guitar Solo Lesson

The guitar solo in Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rock solos of all time. Performed by Jimmy Page, it comes in around the song's 5:55 mark and leads into the climactic final section.  

The solo was largely improvised by Page during the recording sessions, and he reportedly chose the best take from a few versions he had recorded.  

The solo is based on the A minor pentatonic scale. The A minor pentatonic scale is one of the most commonly used scales in rock, blues, and many other genres. It uses the notes:

• A (root)
• C (minor third)
• D (perfect fourth)
• E (perfect fifth)
• G (minor seventh)

So the sequence is: A, C, D, E, G

These notes repeat up and down the neck and form the basis for riffs, solos, and many classic rock and blues lines.

Here’s one of the most common ways to play this scale on guitar:

(For more scales and patterns used by guitar legends, make sure to grab my free fretboard guide below.)

Once you’re comfortable with the first position, you can move to other positions on the neck to access more notes and vary your phrasing. 

Conclusion

Bottom line, “Stairway To Heaven” is one of the most epic rock songs of all time. It draws from folk, rock, and blues in a way that is unique to Led Zeppelin. Every measure of this song is a complete masterclass for guitar players.  

So keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide PDF right here now:  

Jon MacLennan