How to Play Living Loving Maid on Guitar
In this Guitar Control video lesson instructor Jon McLennan, is going to show you how to play “Living Loving Maid” on guitar. This riff is just so cool, but then again what Led Zeppelin riff isn’t. Jon is going to give you a lesson in the style of Led Zeppelin, giving you some Jimmy Page riffs from the song Living Loving Maid She’s Just a Woman.
Step 1: The Riff
The first step in learning how to play “Living Loving Maid” on guitar is tackling this first riff. Start by strumming an A chord. The way that John plays this chord in a rock setting is he just uses one finger to barre the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings inside the 2nd fret and then he strums down from the open 5th string all the way through the 1st. He also wraps his thumb around the neck just barely touching the 6th string to deaden and mute it so that he can actually strum all six strings now but you will only hear the 5th through the 1st ringing out. That is the benefit of muting. If you mute you don’t have to be as accurate with your strumming hand, the disadvantage is you have to mute, which can be a little more difficult for your fretting hand, but really only when first learning how.
After a while, it will become second nature. Then you are going to use your 3rd finger and slide to the 5th fret on the 6th string. Then place your pointer on the 5th string 3rd fret and pick that note once, then go back to the root note by placing your ring finger back on the 5th fret 6th string and pick it once. Then you are going to walk up chromatically on the 5th string playing the 3rd fret with your pointer, the 4th fret with your middle finger, and the 5th fret with your ring finger.
To play chromatically just means to move in half steps, or even more simply put, the fret right next to that fret, next to that fret, next to that fret. After the chromatic walk up go back down to the 6th string 3rd fret with your pointer finger and pick it three times. Then go to the 5th fret 6th string with your ring finger and pick this note once, then on the 5th string with your pointer slightly bend the 3rd fret, then go back to the 6th string 5th fret and pick this note once. So remember giving the 3rd fret 5th string just a little pull and bending is slightly. It’s more for attitude than trying to get to a certain pitch. If you are enjoying this Zeppelin riff be sure to check out our other lesson, how to play No Quarter by Led Zeppelin for another awesome Zeppelin riff.
Step 2: Following The Vocals
Then on the 6th string pick the 3rd fret with your pointer finger to the 5th fret with your ring finger. The rhythm of this part follows the vocals singing “Live it, Love it” Do this all twice. Then you are going to go up to an A triad. There are a lot of different ways to play this chord but for this lesson John puts his pointer finger on the 5th fret 2nd string, his middle finger on the 6th fret 3rd string, and his ring finger on the 7th fret 4th string. Include both the open 5th string and 1st and strum this chord three times, all down strokes. Then use your third finger to press down and barre the 7th fret on the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings. Almost like the first A we did when we barred the 2nd fret on those same strings, but now on the 7th fret instead. Strum this once, and then go back home to the A chord we did right before, open 5th string, ring finger on the 7th fret 4th string, middle on the 6th fret 3rd string, and pointer on the 5th fret 2nd string.
Now put both of these riffs together and then slide down and to the root, the open A position and strum it once.The open 5th string with your pointer barring the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings and strumming from the 5th string down. The other A voicing we played was an inversion. Which is short means different ways of playing an A chord. Inversions focus on a chord in a different order. Triads, 3 note chords, are made up of a root, a 3rd, and a 5th. To play a chord in the root position the root would be the lowest note and the note you strum from, and inversion might start on the 3rd of the chord, or the 5th. It’s a different order.
Recap: How to Play Living Loving Maid on Guitar
I hope you enjoyed learning how to play “Living Loving Maid” on guitar! Pretty much every Zeppelin song is a great rock guitar study. They are just such a phenomenal band, literally every member is incredible and they all bring their own unique and special quality to the band. They are truly a power super group. Make sure to pay attention to detail and really get a hold of and understand these voicing and inversions, play any difficult changes slowly and have fun taking these new techniques and ideas into your own playing and see what you come up with.
