“The key is to know when to walk and when to run, or when to stomp and when to noodle... Don’t mess with a great groove”: John Paul Jones breaks down four Led Zeppelin classics, and how they demonstrate where and when to leave space

John Paul Jones of Them Crooked Vultures performs during Coachella at the Empire Polo Fields on April 16, 2010 in Indio, California.

Starting in 1996, Guitar World was honored to publish a handful of lesson columns authored by Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. The following column, from our April 1997 issue, has been edited for use online.

A mature musician exercises restraint when the situation calls for it. In other words, what you don’t play is just as important as what you do. It actually takes more discipline to stick to an ostinato (repeating) figure for eight or 16 bars than it does to throw in gratuitous fills that don’t necessarily add to the music.