Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing Pt.3 - Verse Three - Guitar Lesson

About Sultans Of Swing Pt.3 - Verse Three

The third verse of "Sultans of Swing" sits in D minor and puts Mark Knopfler's fingerpicking style front and centre. Rather than using a pick, Knopfler plays with his bare fingers, producing a warm, slightly percussive attack that a plectrum simply cannot replicate. Getting that tone right means spending real time on your right-hand technique: the angle of your fingers, which part of the fingertip contacts the string, and how cleanly you can move between strings without muffle or buzz. The chord shapes themselves are not extreme, but the transitions need to be smooth and confident so the melodic line stays clear above the accompaniment. If the movement between chords is tripping you up, pull up the Practice Toolbar and loop the passage slowed down until the changes feel automatic. Dire Straits recorded the track at Basing Street Studios in early 1978, and the live, relatively dry guitar sound rewards precise dynamics over aggression.

• Mark Knopfler plays fingerstyle throughout, so practise this passage without a pick to capture the correct tone and attack.
• The song is in D minor, and familiarity with the natural minor scale in that key will help you navigate the melodic fills between chords.
• Focus on right-hand consistency: uneven finger pressure is the most common reason the melody notes drop out of the mix in this section.