This is an immaculate song, one of the finest on Led Zeppelin 2. The main guitar riff isn’t difficult to play once you’ve picked up the groove, but because there’s quite a few chord changes and the strumming’s pretty quick (16ths), it can be quite a bastard to learn. In order to replicate the same sound as on the disk you’ll need 2 electrics and at least one acoustic. Also, sorry in advance for any spelling mistakes or just general screw ups, this is my first attempt at a tab. I think it is pretty much spot on, there’s no difference while playing along to the song so it must be close.

Led Zeppelin
RAMBLE ON

Tabbed by Adrian Demaine. 
[email protected]
Feel free to mail me any questions or queries.
Key:

---4h6------   fret 4 hammer on 6           ------6p4----   fret 6 pull off to 4
---7^(9)---- bend note up to pitch of 9th fret (1 step)
-----x------- dead note (muted string)    ---3/6--------   3 slide up to 6
----63------  6 slide down to 3 

The two electrics have a nice reverb effect with a slight overdrive. During the intro the acoustic is the main drive for the song, but if you listion closely you can hear the high notes of an electric playing the same thing in the background, I suppose this makes it sound more “roomy”.

Riff 1: Let everything ring…There’s lots of variations as to where the hammer on is placed, but it’s easy to figure out just by listioning to the song….
Guitar 1 (acoustic) & Guitar 2 (electric)
E-|------------------0-0-0-----|-----0-----------------------0-----|--------|
B-|--9--9-9-9---0—---0-0-0-----|-----5----5-5-5-5-5-5--5---5-5-----|--------|
G-|--9--9-9-9-9-7-77-9-9-9-----|--6--6h7--7-7-7-7-7-7—-6h7-7-7-----|--7/9---|go back
D-|--9--9-9-9-9-7-77-7-7-7-----|--7--7----7-7-7-7-7-7--7---7-7-7---|--------|to
A-|--7--7-7-7-7-7-77-9-9-9--0--|--0--0----0---0--0--0--0---0-0-7---|--9/11--|begining
E-|-------------------------0--|-----------------------------0-0---|--------|
This riff depends a lot on the strumming pattern, you need to be careful where you put the up and downstrokes. If you just use alternate picking starting with a downstroke you should be ok Also, to make it sound as accurate as possible, you need to put certain emphasis on some chords. Just listion to the song, but the above should at least be a rough guide to the chords used if nothing else.   

Riff 2: one of the electrics comes in now and I suppose the other is strumming QUIETLY the same thing as the acoustic, which also changes parts. The main electric in this part is playing a very melodic little fill which comes in with the lyrics “Ah, sometimes I grow so tired….” You know what I mean. The notes are from the following chords: E, F#m7, G#m7 | A, F#m7, E.
Guitar 3:
E-|-0---0-----0------------|-------------0---0---------|-0---------0-----------|
B-|-0----0-0--0---0-0----0-|-0----0--0---0-0---0-------|----------0--0--0-0---0|
G-|-11-----9--9-----9h11---|-7p6-----6p4---------------|-11^(13)p9---9----9h11-|
D-|------------------------|---------------------7p6---|-----------------------|
A-|------------------------|-------------------------7-|-----------------------|
E-|------------------------|---------------------------|-----------------------|
Play this a total of twice before the chorus, the end bar  is how it should begin the second time (with the bend).
Once again, take time to learn the notes before attempting to speed it up.

Here’s what the acoustic is playing during the electric fill:
Guitar 1(Acoustic): The other electric may also be playing this?
E-|-4---------------------------|--0----------------0----|
B-|----------2------7-----------|--5-----------2----0----|This won’t cause any problems.
G-|-1--------2------4--4--4-----|--6-----------2----1----|
D-|----------2------4--4--4--0--|--7--7--------2----2----|
A-|-2--2-----4------6--6--------|--0--0-0--7---4----2----|
E-|-0-----0--2--0---4-----------|----------0---2----0----|

Riff 3: This is where the chorus comes in. Simple enough, just have the two electrics playing the same thing, while the acoustic plays a slightly different riff but with the same chords. There’s also some funky muting to be done
Guitar 1 (Acoustic):
E-|----------------xx-xx-xx-x-|-------0----------0---0----------2--3--|
B-|----------------xx-xx-xx-x-|----5--5--5--53--3---3----------3--3--|
G-|-9--9--9--7--9-xx-xx-xx-x-|-------0--0-------0---0--0-0-----2--0--|
D-|-9--9--9--7--7-xx-xx-xx-x-|----7--------75---------0-0-----0-----|
A-|-7--------7--9-xx-xx-xx-x-|---------------------------------------|
E-|----------------xx-xx-xx-x-|---------------------------------------|
This is a lot more strumming orientated then it’s electric counterpart tabbed below. The acoustic is pretty much constantly strumming 16ths from start to finish in this song, you can’t go wrong if you remember that.

Guitars 2 & 3 (Electrics): A smooth overdrive on this…
E-|---------------------------|----------------------------2---2--3---|
B-|-9--9-9--------------------|--3/5----5--53---3--3------3---3--3---|
G-|-9--9-9--7--9-------------|------------------------0---2---2--0---|
D-|-9--9-9--7--7-------------|--5/7-------75---5--5--0---0---0--0---|
A-|-7--7-7--7--9-------------|---------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------|---------------------------------------|
          RAMBLE ON!!!                                  ……now’s the time               the time is now…………….

After that nifty riff the acoustic goes back to riff 1, it just alternates between the above 3 riffs throughout, you can listion to it to find out when they are. The electrics however have 2 VERY cool “eastern” style solos which are actually the easiest and best sounding bits in the whole song. They’re both playing the same melody but different notes so that they harmonize. Nowadays this can be done with one guitar and a digitech whammy pedal, which is what I do when playing it live.

1st guitar solo
Guitar 2: Do what you can to make it sound as hypnotic as possible….
E-|---------|-----------------------------12--------------|
B-|-15------|-15p14h15--15p14h15-15p14h15-----15-14-15----|
G-|---------|---------------------------------------------|
D-|---------|---------------------------------------------|
A-|---------|---------------------------------------------|
E-|---------|---------------------------------------------|
Guitar 3: same thing, different notes…..
E-|---------|---------------------------------------------|
B-|-12------|-12p10h12--12p10h10-12p10h12-14--12-10-12----|
G-|---------|---------------------------------------------|
D-|---------|---------------------------------------------|
A-|---------|---------------------------------------------|
E-|---------|---------------------------------------------|
For the most accurate sound possible pluck the note with the guitars volume turned down to zero, then SWELL into it by gradually turning it back up. The only note which should actually be sounded with a pick is guitar 2s e note on the e string (12th fret) and guitar 3s b string equivalent (14th fret) as there isn’t much choice. A volume pedal isn’t a pointless purchase after all...And it sounds great!

2nd guitar solo: This is very basic, no volume swell and no pratting about, just picking.
Guitar 2:
E-|-12-------------12-------------12------|-12--------------------------------|
B-|---15-14-12-------15-14-12-------15-14-|---15-14-12----12-14--12-14--12-14-|
G-|------------14-------------14----------|------------14---------------------|
D-|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A-|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Guitar 3:
E-|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
B-|-14p12---------14p12---------14p12---|-14p12-------------------------------|
G-|------14p11---------14p11---------14-|------14p11----11-14--11-14--11-14---|
D-|-----------14------------14----------|-----------14------------------------|
A-|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
E-|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|

There’s one more riff in the song done by an electric, it’s a great variation on the last verse when Plants singing about magic and one of my favourite lord of the rings characters: Gollum (smeagol).

Riff 4      Just keep a steady picking rate and listion to the song to get a feel for the notes, as some have more emphasis than others.
Guitar 2: clean w/ neck pick up;
E-|------------------------------|------------------------------|
B-|------------------------------|------------------------------|
G-|--------9--9--9---------------|------9-9--9--7---7-7-7-------|
D-|------9----9--9-------9-9-----|-9h11-----11--7h9-----9--6-7--|
A-|-9h11-----11--9--9p11-----11--|------------------------------|
E-|------------------------------|------------------------------|

After this the chorus repeats a bunch of times and the song fades out. Man it’s a great song, great for practicing a few new techniques as well. Listion to the song to get the order of the riffs and the amount of times played because this is one of them songs where you need to know every detail about the song before attempting to learn it. Believe me, its easier than it looks.
I know how hard it is to learn though, so feel free to e mail me ANY problems you come across while attempting it.