Novice version of the chorus itt cs Professional Guitar Workshops A complete Total Accuracy ‘backing track; Stuart Bull — ‘rams, yt gute; Jory Cunningham ~ bass ‘uit: Richard Barrett Additional guitars: Joe Bennett 68 Ey This 1978 single is the most requested track hy TG readers. Techniques editor JoH BENNETT knows all the chords, and transcriber KIT MORGAN makes it cry and sing. ONSIDERING the year in which It was released, Sultans Of Swing was an odd ‘candidate for a platinunn-selling trans Atlantic top ten single, It was recorded at th height of Punk in the UK, by a then-unknown band, there's no chorus Iyie, and it tells a long and involved story Jy due to the subtl st Mark Knopfler. His rstyle techniqu instantly defined a ‘new’ Strat sound which has, But succeed it did — la cod Iyrical playing of guita Ch eicined with a only few exceptions, remained his Although you ean just about get throug with a plectram, i#8 worth learning it fingerstyle song You can innprovise the lead, but there are som parts swhich your gg audionce wall expeet notably the “tine bell” chord (page 82), and the 0 arpeesios (page 86). Pay tese with thurnb and first finger it the only way to get the sped Knopfler was one of the first players (apart om the ubiquitous Jini Hendrix) to use a Strats in-between’ setting - te two single-coil pickups togetlier. His sound was one of the reasons Fender Dogan fitting 5-wuy, rather than 3.wuy switehes on Strats. This position is often referred to as ‘out-of phase’ (which is technically incorrect) ex ‘wited in parallel (which is deadly dhl). Whichever, the resultant fone is thinner than a normal Strat, but with lots of treble and bass. The on Salone Of Swing uses neck and middle pickups, thr compressor, reverb, the ‘chorus’ riff Mark, appropriately eno switches in a chorus pedal. The effe thick, almost ta the point of implying another guitar so set the width’ control fairly high I very subtle overdrive ‘The song was recalls, “The first version was write 1 composed on the Strat, Mark ‘a National acoustic, which had heen open-tuned. Iwas a different song. But when I got the Stritin the song completely changed. 16 an interesting esau of how sometimes just playing fon another instriment, or with a different tw dictates soinething different to you And what’ that lyri all about? “Iwas a pub jazz band that [sayy in the mid seventies — they re actually called the Sultans OF Swing. The Is the story of their aspirations ~ these people have settled for ordinary day jobs, but they chose iusical freedom, which is so much hetter than just letting your life waste away.” Dire Straits recorded work i available in tab = there's a three. guitar and vocal transeription of Sultans Of Swing, plus other Knopfler classies including Romeo And Juliet, Money For Nothing and Brothers In Arms in the two-book box set The Guitar Styles Of Mark Knopfler (£27.95), You can get hold of this, and other guitar transcriptions of his work, through your music shop, or by tnail order ditect from Musie Sales, who publish all ofthe band’s sheet musie Music Sales: 01284 703.097 JUNE 1997 ISSUE 31hown here is a slightly simplified version of the chorus riff, plus all the chord shapes you nocd for the rhythum part. D natural sinor can be wsod for improvising a solo. Intro and verse 1 & 2 Dovid Kinoper's rythm past (guitar 2) played with pleteuam note tho TY CIEE Intro: ISSUE 31 JUNE 1997CIE ral aia! in dhe shi-ver in the dusk, isa a (ac) South of the ni ver you stop and you bo on . Se — : = So ° == aaa uae A band is blow. in! di- sie, dou-ble fo - ur time You feel al- ri- ght. ppogeee 3 = = —— | om pee fers . oe a ae when you hear that mu ~ sie sing Well now yo JUNE 1997 ISSUE SEoe ee iO ae = SS Me) step in side. but you don't se too many fa Df ices) c BD a7 —— am Se = = (ee Com-in’ im out of the rain to hear the Ja- zz go down, a a Fos fl a Ai : sas 7s Com- pe - 0 tion in o- ther pla rt —— Ss a om ea == [oS i pe) ie = {== =k 4 Os Oh, but the horns, they blow - in’ that sound. ISSUE 31 JUNE 1997 ‘TOTAL GUITAR Eami v Poo ae =—n , 59 | Wor Way on down South. Way on dow n South. —_— eee = oe = 3 pe 5 Aan: 5 i i ——s 23 | cat 3 4 Chorus 1 or at oust that's what we're calling I, even Mough there are no yes. This “tendon town’ ast of the others bogin with “Suttans OF Swing” The man elf playa uslng the partial Dm, BD, Cand F fngoving shown in she frethoxee lew, plus the deuble-stped F to C tek. — eet eet eet —— stage CT) 6 o Ek 6 60 66 ‘Doped Coad Barta Fatpuitatt 1 Sdoable sop Foal Cat oy 'S: Sultans Of Swing ~ chorus PIE Chorus: 8 Lon = don town, Dm 7 ¢ Bb 7 JUNE 1997 ISSUE 31fo er nCe cs re | au__,\ au apau ap = 4 [BUS So 0) alte) aNtOKe ONE ——— { a 4 SAREE: c 8 cata a —— — pore ee = Tt ; = % aa z Bees (Yoo) Yes, and an old gui-tar— is all he can a-fford_— when he gets up un- der the r - ae ———— | Se f pee get Oogeeeetiaee L 7 JUNE 1997 ISSUE 3NET ps — 6h pee FP Att |g lights to play hic th - mg. Ea ie See ee aT ep BU 8D BU BRU fey {rash (reat ft ar ‘ysi] Verse 4: eo Bm: _—————= Cie) And Har= ry dor - sn't = ie : } Nc) e's got a day-time job, ISSUE 32 JUNE 1997 EES 7sPS eT tom nr Dm Can Cea ed) [or aan — oaee : = op Pei day: nigh + ——— t Bb iS Woe with the Sul = tans the Sul = tans of Voc! swing 2 : 7 s .—3 5 =e = — jezs| Chorus: Es Dm ce BD c ——— = = £ Hey 6 TY JUNE 1997 ISSUErss far has boon a double one, but inorder to comfortably into the fen guitar aslo "tyot any more complex here, de take noto ofthe intel the interest, this oes struight inte the chorus, whieh teas mre crowd of young boys, theyre — faol-in’ around inthe cor net Dm. © Bh A ‘aS = Ss and dressed in thei bast brow age gles and thoir— plat form soles. They don't give «damn — bout an y trumpet plays in’ ba = 73 EE JUNE 1997 ISSUE 31(ee it int what nee they call rock and oll == 2 (we Thom the Sul Te Bo Bb yeah, sul thot pla - y tans — (318 Chorus: ISSUE 31 JUNE 1997 EGE 9First guitar solo and chorus 4 ‘Tho frst solo is mainly bonds, with sone slow hamoncreas and pals, Take tare 0 cheer the bones ‘harmonies sr plajed with tuo tle finger atthe 12th sro, and the reminine tsee (artiitat) harmonies are pincied with tm and finer ETE bu: 8D =u eB Be | Re IEC we hah (4) ita) (10 0-9 10--+ sy ———— eS r= ae + ae Dm ic 8» A c 12 (h4) 42-4) iS tay os {et} 40 4¢@§ $$ tg Bed TOTAL GUITAR | JUNE 1997 ISSUE 3Verse 6 and chorus 5 bur $ ofthis nection, Knopfler is using a clasnie aseunding eis taenique — ‘notes are picked on the ted and frst string using thuinb and resend Binzer roxpestvely aiding up tothe twelfth fot, then ek tothe 10th for the Des ‘hot Hote the loft hana tapping undor the words “tine Bet! rng” China a ae) Ail Uaen the mine tgp rght up the mie ~~ phone [@>= Se eS a = — ort 1 a ¥ E — 12105 ISSUE 31 JUNE 1997 ne 5PE (oe and says at last Just asthe time bell rings E ——— Woe Good night now it's time to go home. Pp - fp Pe with one more thing We are the Sul = tans, wea the Sul - tans of Se JUNE 1997 ISLE gtBu \ 80 eu op He one —— HP eioy ta) a 5.85 —3-5-a— el rts HF ia | ISSUE gt JUNE 1997eo Sao iP rT = 0 oS tre tore ee Eee ot 9 oe eee ‘cos P P P | [1940 01810 1018 10-018 10-10] 1810 a P 13 \ 910, 101810, 10 Pp P P e P Pp P ° au bu ep $2—}45 497) —s9 7 )t54-19-415-| (eee ee ee =e wrt Sie oe * su sD suBD OP HE 8 49, 13117) 5) ots) 4245-12 — = a eee =e i fq rorar. currar, JUNE 1997 1SUE 31