Jimmy Page ‘Learned a Hell of a Lot’ From a Jazz Guitar Great, and Now We Can’t Unhear it in Led Zeppelin’s Music

Before Jimmy Page laid down some of the best guitar solos in classic rock, he had to learn how to play guitar just like any other musician. He had several teachers along the way, including jazz guitar legend John McLaughlin, who taught Page “a hell of a lot” years before he formed Led Zeppelin.

Jimmy Page ‘learned a hell of a lot’ from jazz guitar maestro John McLaughlin

Several teachers helped make Page the ace guitarist he was in Led Zeppelin. 

The homeowner who abandoned the first guitar Page played as a child helped inspire his dream. So did the choirmaster who let young James Patrick Page tune his instrument using the church organ. Or the adult bandleaders who added the teenage guitarist to the Red E. Lewis & the Red Caps’ lineup (where he played under the name Nelson Storm). Or the producers who brought in a still teenage Page as a session player on hundreds of songs, including hits by The Who and The Kinks.

Yet in terms of technical skills, Page said jazz guitar legend John McLaughlin taught him as much as anyone (via Light & Shade):

“I would say he was the best jazz guitarist in England then, in the traditional mode of Johnny Smith and Tal Farlow. He certainly taught me a lot about chord progressions and things like that. He was so fluent and so far ahead, way out there, and I learned a hell of a lot.”

jimmy page

It’s not too hard to hear McLaughlin’s influence on Page’s Led Zeppelin playing when you realize he learned guitar from one of the best. 

The chord progressions and guitar tones on Zep songs such as “Darlene,” “South Bound Saurez,” and “I’m Gonna Crawl” aren’t too far off from jazz-like playing. The raked strings and dancing notes high on the fretboard at the start of his underrated solo on “The Ocean” and the “Ramble On” solo reveal some of McLaughlin’s imprint on Page’s playing. Led Zeppelin’s free-flowing, jam-heavy live shows (with improvised solos and long musical tangents) were as close to jazz as most classic rock bands got.

Yet being ahead of the curve might have been the trait McLaughlin imparted on Page the most. 

Nearly every moment of his Led Zeppelin career saw Page push the envelope. His guitar playing and behind-the-scenes producer work on the “Whole Lotta Love” instrumental freakout section is the most prevalent example. His bowed guitar experiments, frequent use of alternate tunings, and uncompromising approach to Led Zeppelin’s music also helped take heavy music in new directions.

Mastering Buddy Holly and Ricky Nelson solos were Page’s first guitar lessons. Session work taught him a lot about playing different styles (and production techniques he used with Led Zeppelin). Gigging with the Yardbirds refined his stage presence. Even playing in Led Zeppelin forced him to improve his skills. But when it came to one-on-one instruction, Jimmy Page learned more about guitar from John McLaughlin than anyone realized.

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