Four Sticks " is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1971 fourth album . The title reflects drummer John Bonham 's performance with two sets of two drumsticks , totaling four . The song was difficult to record , and required more takes than usual . John Paul Jones played a VCS3 synthesizer on the track . The song has an unusual time signature , featuring riffs in a mixture of 5/8 and 6/8 . Only one live performance has been identified – in Copenhagen on their 1971 European tour – and preserved on some bootleg recordings
1971 European tour
Led Zeppelin European Tour 1971
Four Sticks