Led Zep Immigrant Song

[TMB]

Most drummers think they know how to play Bonzo's awesome groove on Immigrant Song but does anyone agree that he's also playing a shuffle on the hi-hat...? None of the scores I've seen, including a recent example in Rhythm have included it. Makes things a touch trickier to say the least!

[eddiehimself]

Interesting, i'll listen out for it next time i'm hearing the song.

[Funkussionist]

I've just had a listen and I would say yes there is a hi hat shuffle.

c.f.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FX_84iWPLU

[PQleyR]

Are you sure it's not ghost notes on the snare? As far as I can tell it's straight 8ths on the hihat with a slightly swung ghosted snare hit a 16th before the beginning of each bar.

[Funkussionist]

OK - I don't know.

On the studio recording it sounds like a shuffle to me but in this live version it sounds different.
And I can't really see what Bonham is doing 'cause the cameraman was obviously on speed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svR3iXKTJvc

[fusssion]

Naahhh.....that's straight ...maybe a ghost note on the snare you're hearing ....

[SGT_Drummer]

Are you sure it's not ghost notes on the snare? As far as I can tell it's straight 8ths on the hihat with a slightly swung ghosted snare hit a 16th before the beginning of each bar.

i'm listening to it right now, and you are correct. straight HH 8ths with swung ghosts on the snare. very difficult to actually pull off, more proof of bonzo's greatness.

[jjmason777]

I agree, it's a ghost note on the snare. I've seen a lot of drummers play that note on the bass drum!

[SGT_Drummer]

I agree, it's a ghost note on the snare. I've seen a lot of drummers play that note on the bass drum!

wow seriously? the bass drum? damn kids and lack of respect for people who paved the way. i mean seriously, if you can't respect people like bonzo enough to look up a vid of him playing a particular part, or engage of some type of discussion on how he did it if you don't know, you don't need to be playing thier stuff. before i ever attempted to play anything from bonzo i watched the live dvds literally hundreds of times, just studying him. listened to the recordings non-stop drove my girlfriend at the time nuts cuz she didn't really like zep.


EDIT: actually, i just listened to the live version of Immigrant Song again, off the How The West Was Won album, and he does do the shuffle with the bass. It also sounds like he varies from straight 8ths on the Hats and makes them more swingy. then he moves to the ride for the guitar solo doing swingy 8ths on the ride while keeping the straight 8ths on the hats with his foot. ...this is making my head hurt. gah!

[zephead19]

I've just had a listen and I would say yes there is a hi hat shuffle.

c.f.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FX_84iWPLU

That video is awesome and hilarious! Plus, Zep is the best! (im not sure how immigrant song is played though)

[Class A Drummer]

Yeah its just straight 8ths. I thought i heard more of a 1 +a thing going on but that was just notes with the bass and snare.

[Strangelove]

Slightly off subject, but how many of you guys play this song on a set of Giant Beats?

[Strangelove]

(im not sure how immigrant song is played though)

The studio version is transcribed partially here (page 48):

http://www.drummagazine.com/images/bonham/bonham-traps07.pdf

[TheJuiceman]

Bonham often used a shaker on his high-hat. That shuffle you hear may be the secondary shake from wailing on the high-hat.

[zephead19]

The studio version is transcribed partially here (page 48):

http://www.drummagazine.com/images/bonham/bonham-traps07.pdf

Thanks thats a sweet page! That makes trying to decipher many of Bonham's drum parts alot easier (saves me days of listening to the same beat over and over with no sucess).

[Xalky]

It always sounded to me like it's a shuffle groove on the high hat with a ghost note , in between, on the snare and thats the way I play it.

I never really thought about it much. I just started playing it that way. After listening to it again, just now, from the studio recording, it still sounds like what I thought it was.

I have seen some guys play it on the bass drum, but it never sounded right to me.

If you listen to it carefully, there's not as much going on with the bass, as it first seems. It's almost a funk groove. It's an illusion.

[Strangelove]

Much has been published about Zeppelin's roots. I for one have noticed a lot of James Brown's funky syncopated rythms in Bonzo's style. Not so much in IS, but listen to The Crunge on HOH. That song has James Brown writted all over it, lack of bridge and all.

[mikeybbdrummin]

Most drummers think they know how to play Bonzo's awesome groove on Immigrant Song but does anyone agree that he's also playing a shuffle on the hi-hat...? None of the scores I've seen, including a recent example in Rhythm have included it. Makes things a touch trickier to say the least!

Funny you say that. I have always played it w/that extra hi-hat and expect most people to say i doing it wrong. But no one has. I play it; hi-hat---1 & 2 & A 3 & 4 & A 1.....and so on. The A is brought up w/the snare hitting hand to the hi hat.........kinda has a little bit of a swing do it..........if that makes sense.

[Xalky]

Funny you say that. I have always played it w/that extra hi-hat and expect most people to say i doing it wrong. But no one has. I play it; hi-hat---1 & 2 & A 3 & 4 & A 1.....and so on. The A is brought up w/the snare hitting hand to the hi hat.........kinda has a little bit of a swing do it..........if that makes sense.

That would give it almost the same sound as the shuffle with the ghost note on the A. Ghost notes can be very decieving, sounding like a hi-hat when combined together. The way you play it would certainly sound fine. I just hate when they do it with the bass..it aint right to my ear.

[dcrigger]

That would give it almost the same sound as the shuffle with the ghost note on the A. Ghost notes can be very decieving, sounding like a hi-hat when combined together. The way you play it would certainly sound fine. I just hate when they do it with the bass..it aint right to my ear.

I would probably play the added 16ths (the Ah of 2 and the Ah of 4) as a ghost on the snare - much more playable at today's much louder volumes.

But the original version on Led Zep III - where Bonham isn't really playing hard at all (by today's standards) absolutely sounds like its all on the hat. And to my ears, sounds like it is being played with just the right hand... Bonham was quite the jazzer at heart... and so his mixing a bit of the basic double-time jazz ride pattern into the flow of hihat 1/8ths doesn't surprise me at all.

Later - like live on How The West Was Won - he's playing much harder (still not as hard as one would think - considering how loud he's playing strikes the listener), so the little jazz beat subtly is left out - interestingly he doesn't move that note to the snare, he just leaves it out.

David