How Many More Times by Led Zeppelin – Guitar Lesson Breakdown

Dive into the raw power and psychedelic blues of “How Many More Times” by Led Zeppelin with this detailed, note-for-note guitar lesson from LickLibrary. As the closing track from their groundbreaking debut album, this song is a showcase of early Led Zeppelin’s explosive creativity and sonic experimentation. Clocking in at over eight minutes, “How Many More Times” weaves together heavy blues, driving rock, and trippy improvisational sections. At the heart of it all is Jimmy Page’s masterful guitar work, blending gritty tone with sophisticated technique. In this lesson, we focus on four key elements of Page’s playing: alternate picking, vibrato, power chords, and string bending—each offering valuable insights into expressive, high-energy guitar performance.

Whether you're developing lead control, rhythm power, or stylistic versatility, this lesson from Danny Gill offers a deep dive into one of Zeppelin’s most underrated epics.

Techniques Used

Alternate Picking

Alternate picking is a key technique used throughout “How Many More Times,” especially in the more rhythmically demanding riffs and quick lead lines. This method involves alternating downstrokes and upstrokes in a consistent motion, which maximizes speed, precision, and efficiency. In this lesson, we’ll guide you through how Page applies alternate picking to maintain the song’s momentum and rhythmic pulse. Learning this technique helps build stamina and synchronization between your picking and fretting hands—vital for playing complex phrases with clarity and control.

Vibrato

One of the standout features of Jimmy Page’s lead playing is his tasteful use of vibrato. In “How Many More Times,” vibrato is used to add depth, emotion, and sustain to notes, especially during the solo and improvisational sections. Our lesson shows you how to develop a controlled vibrato that enhances your phrasing and gives each note more personality. This technique not only boosts the expressiveness of your solos but also helps you develop your own unique voice on the instrument.

Power Chords

Power chords are used to drive the heavier, riff-based sections of the song—particularly in the transitions from bluesy verses into full-blown rock breakdowns. These chords are essential to the Zeppelin sound and provide a muscular foundation for both rhythm and lead work. Practicing power chords in the context of this song will improve your fretting hand strength, picking accuracy, and ability to lock in with the rhythm section. They're also a great tool for players who want to build dynamic control into their chord playing.

String Bending

A cornerstone of blues-rock lead playing, string bending features heavily in Page’s solos. From subtle half-step bends to wild, expressive pitches, bending gives your solos that vocal, crying tone that makes them memorable. This lesson covers different types of bends used in the song, including pre-bends and bend-and-release techniques. You’ll learn how to bend accurately to pitch, add dynamic expression, and blend bends smoothly into phrases—skills that are essential for any lead guitarist.

Why Learn “How Many More Times”?

“How Many More Times” is a perfect study piece for guitarists who want to combine power and precision with spontaneity and expression. The song moves fluidly between tight, riff-based playing and looser, more improvisational sections—challenging your rhythm accuracy, lead articulation, and stylistic versatility. It’s also an incredible opportunity to study the techniques that shaped hard rock guitar from one of the genre’s most iconic pioneers.

Our lesson breaks down every section note-for-note, ensuring you can recreate the entire performance with confidence. You’ll also develop the foundational techniques that will benefit your playing across all genres of rock and blues.

About the Guitarist: Jimmy Page

Jimmy Page, the creative force behind Led Zeppelin’s iconic sound, brings a unique combination of blues roots, studio experimentation, and raw rock energy to this track. “How Many More Times” highlights many of the traits that made Page a guitar legend—from the hypnotic bass-driven riffing to the spontaneous, psychedelic solo sections. His playing here is drenched in tone, phrasing, and unpredictability, offering guitarists a window into the early foundations of hard rock and heavy metal. Page’s influence on guitar technique, composition, and tone remains unmatched, and this song encapsulates his fearless, genre-bending approach to guitar work.

Guitar Techniques Featured in This Lesson

• Alternate Picking
• Vibrato
• Power Chords
• String Bending

Explore the roots of hard rock with our comprehensive lesson on Led Zeppelin’s “How Many More Times.” This is a journey through tone, technique, and improvisation—perfect for players ready to push their phrasing, power, and creativity to new heights.