# What's happening musically in "Black Dog"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happening-musically-in-black-dog/442285 "2008-03-21T23:23:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happening-musically-in-black-dog/442285/1 "2008-03-21T23:23:46Z")
I’m not a musician, so bear with me. In Led Zep’s song “Black Dog”, there’s something unusual going on with the guitar work that I can’t put my finger on. After Plant gets done singing his set of lyrics, the lead guitar does some riffs that have an odd transition in the middle. I don’t understand what I’m hearing. It doesn’t seem to be a standard time signature. That’s about the best I can do for an explanation. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happening-musically-in-black-dog/442285/2 "2008-03-21T23:27:15Z")
It goes from 4/4 to 3/4 and back. A beat has been dropped and then added back. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happening-musically-in-black-dog/442285/3 "2008-03-21T23:30:56Z")
I’d never noticed before, but now that I think about it, you’re right. The song’s [Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Dog_(song)) says: > [@](#): > > Despite the seeming simplicity of the drum pattern, the song features a complex, shifting time signature that the band has sometimes claimed was intended to thwart cover bands from playing the song. If the volume is turned up loud enough, Bonham can be heard tapping his sticks together before each riff. Not super-helpful, but it at least confirms that there’s something going on. On preview, **lobotomyboy63** seems to have it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happening-musically-in-black-dog/442285/4 "2008-03-22T02:05:01Z")
**Heart** did a great job of covering the song, right down to the weird ‘hiccup’ in the guitar work. It seems like it happens in mid riff, which must have been a pain to get right the first time. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happening-musically-in-black-dog/442285/5 "2008-03-22T04:24:17Z")
Weird Al Yankovic does a superb job of covering the song in [“Trapped in the Drive-Thru.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapped_in_the_Drive_Thru#Notes) Yup, at the part where he turns on the radio, that’s not a clip of Led Zeppelin, but Al’s own band performing “Black Dog.” ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happening-musically-in-black-dog/442285/6 "2008-03-22T05:11:03Z")
[QUOTE=cochrane] Weird Al Yankovic does a superb job of covering the song in [“Trapped in the Drive-Thru.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapped_in_the_Drive_Thru#Notes) Yup, at the part where he turns on the radio, that’s not a clip of Led Zeppelin, but Al’s own band performing “Black Dog.” [/QUOTE] Al has one of the tightest bands around. Those guys truly rock. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-happening-musically-in-black-dog/442285/7 "2008-03-22T10:58:33Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] I’d never noticed before, but now that I think about it, you’re right. The song’s [Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Dog_(song)) says:Not super-helpful, but it at least confirms that there’s something going on. On preview, **lobotomyboy63** seems to have it. [/QUOTE] I have the sheet music. That made figuring it out a lot easier 😃