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Led Zeppelin - Good Times Bad Times - Guitar Tab

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Key E major
Led Zeppelin - Good Times Bad Times guitar tab video
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Classic Rock

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Led Zeppelin album cover
Led Zeppelin
1969 2:46
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Led Zeppelin Hard Rock 1969 E major
Capo Advisor 0 E major · Original key

About Good Times Bad Times

Opening their 1969 debut, Led Zeppelin announced themselves with a track that still challenges guitarists today. Jimmy Page's riff in E major sits in a deceptively comfortable E Standard tuning, but the real work is in how he phrases it: a crisp, slightly behind-the-beat swagger that feels loose without being sloppy. The picking-hand articulation matters enormously here, because the riff relies on a mix of picked notes and muted attack to get that punchy, driving tone. At 92 BPM the song is not blistering, but the rhythmic precision it demands is easy to underestimate. The verse rhythm parts require steady, controlled downstrokes, while the lead fills that weave around John Bonham's drum pattern ask for quick positional shifts up the neck. If the transitions between the riff and those fill passages keep tripping you up, isolate that section in the Practice Toolbar and run it slowed down until the movement feels automatic. This is a foundational track in Blues Rock guitar and well worth getting right from the ground up.

  • The main riff is played in E Standard tuning in the key of E major, making it approachable for most electric guitar setups.
  • Nailing the riff requires close attention to pick attack and muting, as the rhythmic feel depends on controlled articulation rather than speed.
  • The lead fills between vocal phrases involve quick neck position shifts that are worth looping slowed down to build accuracy before playing up to tempo.

How to Play Good Times Bad Times

Tuning: E Standard · Key: E major · Tempo: 96 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 96 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Jimmy Page's 1958 Telecaster (gifted by Jeff Beck) delivered the bright, spanky single-coil attack that defined Led Zeppelin I's raw, bluesy edge. Its snappy treble cut through the mix on early tracks before Page switched to the warmer Les Paul for the band's heavier sound.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Page's 1959 Les Paul Standard with PAF humbuckers became the sonic backbone of Led Zeppelin from 1969 onward, its warm mahogany body and dynamic unpotted pickups creating the sustain-rich, touch-sensitive tone heard on 'Whole Lotta Love' and 'Black Dog.'

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

While Page primarily used the Les Paul Standard, a Custom's thicker body and tonal characteristics would complement his dynamic playing style, offering similar warmth with potentially enhanced bottom-end punch for Zeppelin's heavier arrangements.

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)
Amp

Marshall Plexi (1959 Super Lead)

The Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexi was Page's primary amplifier from Led Zeppelin II onward, cranked past 7 for natural power-tube saturation and natural breakup that responded dynamically to his pick attack and volume knob control.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

Page deployed the Vox AC30 in the studio for cleaner, chiming tones and layering textures that added dimension to Led Zeppelin's arrangements, offering a vintage British tone that complemented the Marshall's aggression.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Page's Vox Cry Baby wah became iconic on 'Dazed and Confused,' its expressive sweep adding vocal-like character to his lead work throughout Led Zeppelin's catalog, integral to the band's psychedelic and blues-rock textures.

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