A while back, I was looking for a new guitar challenge. Being a guitar teacher at guitarplayers.net, I’m often teaching songs for my students, which I love. But sometimes, I don’t get to learn songs just for myself. So, I asked my brother Matt for a suggestion. His answer? “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits.
If you’re not familiar with it, give it a listen. And if you haven’t heard the iconic, rapid-fire guitar solo at the end, just wait for it.
I knew the song well.
And I also knew it was going to be incredibly difficult.
That lightning-fast solo was what intimidated me most. Little did I realize that this simple song suggestion would become a five-month-long guitar learning adventure.
So, I want to share my process with you. I wish I had documented it more thoroughly as it happened, but hopefully, this will give you a good idea. Maybe I’ll keep better notes for my next guitar conquest!
Here’s how it went down.
Step 1: The Research Phase
Before even picking up my guitar, I needed to gather my learning resources.
Here’s what I used to get started:
- JustinGuitar’s “Sultans of Swing” series: These video lessons are incredibly comprehensive and break down the song into manageable parts.
- Guitar Tabs: I searched online for “Sultans of Swing guitar tab” and found several versions on websites like Ultimate-Guitar and Songsterr. Having multiple tabs allowed me to cross-reference and get a clearer picture of the fingerings and notes.
I also did some research into Mark Knopfler’s gear. I learned he typically used a red Fender Stratocaster and experimented with different amp settings and effects to try and get closer to his signature tone. This article was particularly helpful for understanding his sound, and this one shed light on his use of lighter gauge strings.
One piece of good news for me was discovering that Mark Knopfler primarily fingerpicks (or uses a hybrid picking technique). Fingerpicking is something I’m reasonably comfortable with, so that was a relief!
Step 2: Diving into the Solo First
I already knew “Sultans of Swing” – I could sing along and hum the solo. But playing it was a different story.
Usually, when learning a song, I start with chords as rhythm guitar is my strength. However, this time, I decided to tackle the most daunting part first: that blazing fast final solo.
My thinking was: If I can’t crack the solo, I might lose motivation to learn the rest. Let’s get the hard part out of the way first.
Here’s my solo-learning strategy:
- Watched Mark Knopfler solo videos: I watched various live and studio performances of Mark playing the solo to get a feel for his technique and phrasing.
- Studied JustinGuitar’s solo lesson: Justin’s breakdown of the solo was invaluable for understanding the structure and finger positions.
- Analyzed this YouTube lesson: This video offered another perspective and helped solidify my understanding of the solo.
- Visual Tab Tracking: I tried to visually follow along with guitar tabs while watching the videos to connect the visual patterns with the sound.
- Super Slow Practice: I started playing the solo at a ridiculously slow tempo, focusing on accuracy over speed.
When I say slow, I mean painfully slow, almost note-by-note. But the key was to use the correct fingers and play each note cleanly.
It was incredibly frustrating.
My brain understood the solo, and my ears knew how it should sound, but my fingers just wouldn’t cooperate.
But I persisted.
I took short 20-second breaks, shook out my hands, and kept at it.
It probably took around 30 minutes before my fingers started to find their way. Muscle memory began to develop, and I started to feel a little more comfortable.
Then, it was time to gradually increase the speed. I repeatedly played sections of the solo, incrementally pushing my tempo.
Many guitarists and teachers recommend using a metronome. I didn’t feel like it at the time, though in hindsight, it probably would have been beneficial.
After about an hour of focused practice, I was exhausted for the night. Including research, I had spent 3 to 4 hours on just that tiny solo – a mere 13 seconds of music!
And I still wasn’t playing it well! Was it worth it? I wasn’t sure yet, but I was determined to find out.
Step 3: Expanding to the Rest of the Song
I continued to practice the solo whenever I picked up my guitar, always focusing on correct fingering and accurate notes.
Over the next few days, I noticed improvement. Taking breaks and letting my muscles recover actually helped with progress.
At this point, the solo felt achievable. Not mastered, but I knew I could get there.
It was time to learn the rest of “Sultans of Swing.”
JustinGuitar’s video series became my primary resource.
I started with the first video in his series and worked through the song section by section.
“Sultans of Swing” is interesting because almost every line in each verse has a unique little riff or guitar fill. There are some recurring patterns, thankfully, but my task was to learn and play all these intricate parts like Mark Knopfler.
I started with the intro and methodically worked my way through the song.
The majority of the song consists of these riffs and fills, interspersed with chords. There isn’t a lot of heavy strumming.
I was progressing steadily through Justin’s videos when I hit a roadblock and made a questionable decision.
I reached the first guitar solo in the song.
And I made a mistake…
I decided to skip it and come back to it later. A decision I would later regret.
In one evening (around 3-4 hours), I learned the rest of the song (excluding the first solo).
I could play through the entire song (minus that solo), reading the guitar tab slowly, but recognizably playing “Sultans of Swing.” It sounded somewhat like the song.
Total practice time so far: 7 or 8 hours over a couple of weeks.
Step 4: Increasing Speed and Adding Performance Pressure
About three weeks into learning “Sultans of Swing,” my practice became less consistent due to other guitar-related commitments, like preparing lessons for my students.
I still practiced “Sultans” occasionally, maybe 30-45 minutes a week, if that.
After about a month of this on-and-off practice, I decided to ramp things up. Here’s how:
I organize a monthly “Band Night” with my guitar students where we jam and play songs together. We have guitars, drums, bass, keyboards – it’s a fun, casual musical gathering.
Usually, I just go with the flow and play whatever the group chooses. But this time, I suggested we tackle “Sultans of Swing.”
Everyone agreed to learn their parts.
Now I had real motivation to practice.
In the two weeks leading up to the next band night, I focused intensely on “Sultans.”
To improve my playing, I:
- Listened to Multiple Versions: I listened to studio and live versions of “Sultans of Swing” to internalize the nuances and variations.
- Continued Focused Practice: I maintained my slow, deliberate practice sessions.
- Played Along with Recordings: I played along with the original Dire Straits recording to improve my timing and feel.
- Used Backing Tracks: I practiced with “Sultans of Swing” backing tracks like this one.
Playing with backing tracks was a game-changer. It pushed me to improve my timing and rhythm much more effectively than practicing alone. It was like having the band there to keep me in time.
While I probably should have used a metronome earlier, the backing tracks provided a more engaging and realistic practice experience.
Keeping up with the backing tracks wasn’t too difficult after some practice. I spent about 2 hours total (spread over several days) practicing with YouTube backing tracks.
And yes, I was still avoiding that first solo.
Step 5: Band Night and Facing the First Solo
Band night arrived, and it was time to put my “Sultans” skills to the test. I was nervous, but I think everyone else was too.
We played through the song a few times, skipping the first solo each time.
We experimented with different tempos.
We played it maybe 3 or 4 times in total that night.
It wasn’t bad.
We all knew we needed more work, but it felt within reach.
I knew I couldn’t avoid the first solo any longer.
A week after band night, I dedicated about an hour one evening to learning that first solo. I used JustinGuitar’s video lesson again. It was easier than I anticipated. I regretted skipping it for so long. But finally, I could play it.
Next, I pulled up the backing tracks on YouTube and practiced the full song, including both solos. It was becoming smoother and easier each time.
“Sultans of Swing” is about 5 minutes and 50 seconds long, and I had been working on it for eight weeks at this point.
Yes, 8 weeks for a roughly 6-minute song. Crazy, right?
And it still wasn’t perfect. I still missed notes, bends weren’t always quite right, and even the final solo could be cleaner.
Step 6: Current Progress and Ongoing Refinement
At the next Band Night, we sounded significantly better. There was still room for improvement, but I was happy with our progress. I could have played better myself (still a bit nervous performing it), but I was proud of how far we’d come as a band.
We’ve played “Sultans of Swing” at a few more band nights since then.
I even experimented with lighter gauge strings on my guitar to try and get closer to Mark Knopfler’s tone. They might make a difference, or it could be just in my head!
I’m still not perfect at “Sultans of Swing.”
It’s been five months since I started.
I get rusty if I don’t practice it regularly.
Before each band night, I make sure to spend some extra time dusting off “Sultans of Swing.”
The main takeaway from this whole experience is that learning guitar, especially challenging songs, takes a significant amount of time and effort, even for experienced players like myself (over 20 years of playing).
However…
Despite the work, I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun and felt so rewarded by playing music.
It was absolutely worth it.
I can’t recommend the resources I used highly enough, especially JustinGuitar’s videos. I honestly don’t think I could have learned “Sultans of Swing” without them. Here are the resources again:
- JustinGuitar’s “Sultans of Swing” series
- Online Guitar Tabs (search “Sultans of Swing guitar tab”)
Connect with Me
Like my page on: Facebook (pretty please?)
Check out my Beginner Guitar Book on Amazon!
For online guitar lessons, email me at [email protected]
For in-home guitar lessons in Annapolis, Maryland, and surrounding areas, email me at [email protected]
