3 Things to Know About the Mandolin on Led Zeppelin’s “The Battle of Evermore”

John Paul Jones played the mandolin on the track He had little experience with the instrument but learned the part in a few takes. That plucky, medieval sound is exactly what he recorded.

Jimmy Page got the idea from a folk club mandolin player Page brought the concept to the band after hearing a mandolin player perform. Jones then figured out the part on his own.

The mandolin gives the song its folk ballad feel Without it, the track would sound like a typical rock song. The mandolin is the reason it stands out as unusual for Led Zeppelin.