John Paul Jones

The bassist for Led Zeppelin, one of rock's greatest bands, John Paul Jones is universally recognized as one of the greatest bassists of all time. He's also a highly regarded multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer.

Latest articles by John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones performs onstage with Led Zeppelin at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York on February 1, 1975

For these Led Zeppelin classics, one finger was all John Paul Jones needed

By John Paul Jones published

Using just the index finger may not seem like the most “efficient” way to play, the low-end legend wrote in his GW column, but he loved the consistent attack and dynamic control that he got from using one finger

Bassists
(from left) Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, and Jimmy Page perform onstage

The key element that ties together three Led Zeppelin classics

By John Paul Jones published

Zeppelin’s power lay in their timing, the low-end giant explains, but there was more in the method to the band's madness

Artist Lessons
(from left) Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page perform onstage in Knebworth, England on August 11, 1979

John Paul Jones explains one of the key ingredients of some of Led Zeppelin's greatest riffs

By John Paul Jones published

They may have played a huge role in bringing heaviness and triple-digit onstage decibel counts to rock, but as bassist John Paul Jones explains, Zeppelin were also masters of silence

Artist Lessons
John Paul Jones performs onstage with Led Zeppelin at Earl's Court in London in May 1975

Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones explains what people get wrong about his Black Dog riff

By John Paul Jones published

In his inaugural Guitar World lesson column, authored in 1996, the legendary bassist also revealed why he used pick to lay the song down in the studio – and why he later would use an eight-string bass to play it live

Song Lessons