Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing Pt.4 - Main Solo - Guitar Lesson

About Sultans Of Swing Pt.4 - Main Solo

The closing solo of "Sultans of Swing" is one of the most studied pieces of lead guitar in the rock canon, and for good reason: Mark Knopfler plays it fingerstyle, no pick, which gives every note a softer, rounder attack that a flatpick simply will not replicate. Getting that tone starts with your right hand. Plant your thumb and fingers and work on pulling through the strings rather than striking them. The lines sit in D minor and move fast, mixing pentatonic runs with chromatic passing notes, so clean fretting under pressure is the real challenge here. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the densest runs at a reduced speed until each note speaks clearly before you push the tempo back up. Dire Straits built the whole track around Knopfler's restrained, conversational phrasing, and this solo is where that approach reaches its peak. Resist the urge to dig in hard: lightness of touch is what makes the part sing.

• Mark Knopfler plays this solo fingerstyle rather than with a pick, producing the warm, fluid tone that defines the part.
• The solo moves through D minor, blending pentatonic phrases with chromatic runs that demand precise left-hand fretting at speed.
• Looping the fastest passages slowed down is the most effective way to build the finger independence this solo requires.