Kay Pearce
Dr. Molly Brecklin
Music 110
September 7, 2012
"Stairway to Heaven"
The band Led Zeppelin was an English rock band with four members, three are still alive and one has passed away. Their names are as follows; John Henry Bohnam (Bonzo) (May 31, 1948-September 25, 1980). He was an English musician and song writer best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and “feel for the grove.” He is widely considered to be one of the greatest drummers in the history of Rock music. Unfortunately he passed away much too early, I feel that he had a lot more to contribute musically. Keeping up with the fast pace of parting and drugs that go along with it, sometimes is a musicians demise. James Patrick (Jimmy) Page (January 9, 1944-) He is an English guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of the Yardbirds from 1966-1968 after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The way Jimmy Page plays the guitar is mind blowing; the ease in which he can throw out a riff is absolutely unbelievable. Jimmy Page is viewed by critics, fans, and fellow musicians to be one of the most influential guitarists of all times. Robert Anthony Plant (Vocalist) (August 20, 1948-) is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career. In 2007 Plant released Raising Sand, an album produced by T-Bone Burnett with American Bluegrass soprano Alison Krause, which won the 2009 Grammy award for album of the year at the fifty first Grammy Awards. With a career spanning more than forty years, Plant is regarded as one of the most significant singers in the history of Rock music. He has done several solo albums as well, such as Pictures at Eleven, and blues records, too. I saw him in 1977 with Led Zeppelin and in the 80’s on his solo tour. He is even very good live. He has a very versatile voice, which allows him to sing many different styles of music and sound very good doing it. John Paul Jones (Born John Baldwin) (January 3, 1946-) is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger, and record producer best known as the bassist, mandolinist, keyboardist, and co-songwriter for the English rock band Led Zeppelin. Since Zeppelin he established a solo career as well. He also plays guitar, Kato, lap steel guitars, auto harp, violin, ukulele, sitar, cello continuo, and the three over dubbed recorder parts on the song “Stairway to Heaven.” "Stairway to Heaven: is a song by an English rock band Led Zeppelin. The song was on the album Houses of the Holy ,which was released in nineteen seventy one. The song was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. Houses of the Holy is also referred to as Led Zeppelin IV. The song "Stairway to Heaven" is often said to be one of the greatest Rock songs of all time. Not unlike other songs this song was put together by various pieces of music that had been saved from many sessions or recordings that Page and Plant did together. The song has several different sections, it starts with a quiet beginning, and a six string guitar is being picked. Gradually moving into a slow electric guitar, the song starts to progress. In the middle of the song it starts to get faster and ending with a short finish similar to the beginning.
The melody of the song is a sort of disjunct, standard throughout the first one third or maybe half of the song. Then in the second half it clearly changes to a conjunct order. The Rhythm of the song is slow at stages in the beginning, then half way into the song the drums come in. The song builds with different layers of the guitar, and then the rhythm of the drums continues building for a rhythmic climax of sorts. The harmony of the song is great as well. The song is written in the key of A Minor, and the song opens