How Isolation Crafted Jimmy Page’s Iconic Guitar Skills
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page’s isolated childhood greatly influenced his guitar playing. Page started playing guitar at age 12 and taught himself instead of taking lessons. He spent most of his free time practicing, becoming very attached to his guitar. He even took it to school, where it was often confiscated.
Page’s self-teaching allowed him to learn many different styles early on, which later contributed to Led Zeppelin’s unique sound, writes Far Out. He explained, “I wanted Zeppelin to be a marriage of blues, hard rock and acoustic music topped with heavy choruses – a combination that had never been done before. Lots of light and shade in music.”
Modest upbringing
Robert Plant, the band’s lead singer, also had a modest upbringing that fueled his passion for music. He recalled, “When I was a kid I used to hide behind the curtains at home at Christmas, and I used to try and be Elvis. There was a certain ambience between the curtains and the French windows, there was a certain sound there for a ten-year-old.”
When Led Zeppelin finally formed and began rehearsing, their diverse musical backgrounds created an exciting and unique sound.
Early rehearsals
Plant remembered their early rehearsals, saying, “All I can remember it was hot and it sounded good – very exciting and very challenging. Because I could feel that something was happening to myself and to everyone else in the room. It felt like we’d found something that we had to be very careful with because we might lose it.”
