Sultans Of Swing

Mark Knopfler, the lead guitarist with Dire Straits shot to fame when this great song was recorded in early 1978 at for the band’s debut album Dire Straits. The song was written by Mark Knopfler and allegedly inspired by watching a jazz band in a virtually deserted London pub. It also has longevity to it as the master track is featured in Guitar Hero 5 as a playable song.
The intro to the song is played over a Dm chord and, even in this short passage of guitar playing, includes hammer ons, pull offs, stops, vibrato and slides. These techniques are employed throughout the whole song and also include a significant amount of string bending as well.
It is essential to make the intro flow and make it instantly recognisable. This is such an iconic song that, if playing this with a live band, the audience need to know this is Sultans of swing from the outset and be satisfied that it is executed in a fashion they can identify with. Too many mistakes going off kilter will make an instantly forgettable experience. Being expressive in your playing is also very key. Learning the intro is relatively easy and, although Mark Knopfler employs a finger style technique i.e. he does not use a pick, you can still practice your way to mastering this part of the song.
Sultans of Swing is played on a Fender Stratocaster and the sound really enhances the great lead guitar melody lines employed – every note can be heard and the guitar really does “cry and sing.”

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Each Riff Includes Step By Step Videos, Tabs and Backing Tracks

Learn to play this Riff and Jam with our included backing tracks. And all the teaching and Jam session videos can either be viewed online, or downloaded to your PC.

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5. Sweet Home Alabama

Tags: Andy Partridge, BandJammer, Dire Straits, Guitar Riffs, Learn Guitar, Sultans Of Swing