Do all guitarists think Black Dog by LZ is random magical timing?

Don't know if it's true or not, but according to Theodore Gracyk's book, Listening to Popular Music, Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Led Zeppelin, in the studio the acapella bits have a measure of 5/4, but live, they changed that to 4/4 so the band were more assured of all coming back in together.

That might be the case. But the problem I found with the original recording was that they pause on some of the breaks and don't pause on others. I haven't been able to count it out though. I've only been able to play it by feel. That's a cop out, I know. I need to sit with it and work on it some more.
 
That might be the case. But the problem I found with the original recording was that they pause on some of the breaks and don't pause on others. I haven't been able to count it out though. I've only been able to play it by feel. That's a cop out, I know. I need to sit with it and work on it some more.
I’m fairly certain all the vocal only sections are 4/4+5/4 on the studio album. But I guess that’s only if you count the parts out of the chorus as 5/8 or 3/8 depending on which one. But that count feels best to me as it makes sense to always start the vocal phrase on 1.
 
That might be the case. But the problem I found with the original recording was that they pause on some of the breaks and don't pause on others. I haven't been able to count it out though. I've only been able to play it by feel. That's a cop out, I know. I need to sit with it and work on it some more.
I don't think that's a cop-out at all. I've always assumed that even beyond not recording to a click (obviously), they deliberately choose to play those sections with a certain amount of rubato. And, again, there's at least the one Bonham stick click to lead the band back in, and maybe more than were successfully muted.
 
That might be the case. But the problem I found with the original recording was that they pause on some of the breaks and don't pause on others. I haven't been able to count it out though. I've only been able to play it by feel. That's a cop out, I know. I need to sit with it and work on it some more.

Not a cop out per se. Honestly, in 35 years of playing, I have consciously counted maybe 0.78% of the time other than when taking lessons in the first 10 years. I rely on feel 99% of the time......and it works for me. I occasionally count or count off breaks like on Reelin' in the Years but primarily for the band not myself. I find when I "get it" from a feel perspective......it sticks, where counting is an academic exercise for me.

Everyone works differently......go with what works for you. Of course if it isn't working, then try another approach.
 
I seem to remember Mr. Appice struggling with it a well.
 
Interesting conversation, about how to copy an original song by a band accused of copying! of course there is a count you can hear the sticks.. Didn't Robert Plant say after Robert Johnson we are all just beggars and thieves..
 
Interesting conversation, about how to copy an original song by a band accused of copying! of course there is a count you can hear the sticks.. Didn't Robert Plant say after Robert Johnson we are all just beggars and thieves..
I enjoy the quote that is something along the lines of success in music is usually about copying and not being caught. There’s some truth to that I feel.
 
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