Mark Knopfler - Sultans of Swing Solo's

Alnico

Well this is what i've spent the last week trying to play and i can play them both all the way through, not in time, not accurately but enough that i know i am playing the right notes.

The guy in the video is 'Chris Zoupa' and i've learned from his tutorials before, i think he's a really great 'Explainer' and i find them very easy to follow. Good luck and i hope someone enjoys these rather enlightening video's.

close2u

For your pleasure: 

Sultans Of Swing Isolated Master Guitar Track

Alnico

@close2u

I'm really grateful you posted this !

What an insight, thank you. 

RedRabbit

I've always found the first solo the trickier of the two to really nail.  The phrasing on those first few bends throws me completely and I'm usually slightly out until the country bends over the F.  The rest of the bend don't seem to notice though and the one recording I've got from a rehearsal sounds okay but it never feels right when I play it.

It took a while to get a couple of licks from the second solo up to speed but the phrasing is much more on the beat so I don't tend to get lost.  A previous drummer used to speed things up for the second solo which made the outro arpeggios fun.

Alnico

For me the most insight with what @close2u has posted is exactly how much rhythm guitar is played and more importantly how and *where* knopfler switches back and forth between the two.
To hear all the phrasing and nuances without the rest of the band is just enlightening. Getting the notes and where it's played is one thing but to hear it like that is a revelation.

richardhomer

Alnico;992594" said:

For me the most insight with what @close2u has posted is exactly how much rhythm guitar is played and more importantly how and *where* knopfler switches back and forth between the two.
To hear all the phrasing and nuances without the rest of the band is just enlightening. Getting the notes and where it's played is one thing but to hear it like that is a revelation.

That is a composite track though - the rhythm guitar is dropped out on parts - but you can clearly hear the three-string riffs are doubled.

Grunfeld

richardhomer said:
That is a composite track though - the rhythm guitar is dropped out on parts - but you can clearly hear the three-string riffs are doubled.

I love the way he kicks the chorus in and out though... a bit here, a bit there.

DulcetJones

Great song!  I learned this by ear when it first came out, well, not perfect but good enough to pass an audition as lead guitarist with a newly forming band that went on to play over 60 gigs a year.  There was no internet and very little tab going around at the time, we had to rely on our ear.  I learned a lot just from concentrating on all the techniques he was using.

Alnico

richardhomer said:

Alnico;992594" said:

For me the most insight with what @close2u has posted is exactly how much rhythm guitar is played and more importantly how and *where* knopfler switches back and forth between the two.
To hear all the phrasing and nuances without the rest of the band is just enlightening. Getting the notes and where it's played is one thing but to hear it like that is a revelation.

That is a composite track though - the rhythm guitar is dropped out on parts - but you can clearly hear the three-string riffs are doubled.

Richard

I have zero experience with recording.

What does that mean? "The three string riffs are Doubled" ?

It sounds to me like one guy and one guitar playing rhythm / lead throughout.

Have i got that wrong ?

richardhomer

Alnico;993310" said:

Richard

I have zero experience with recording.

What does that mean? "The three string riffs are Doubled" ?

It sounds to me like one guy and one guitar playing rhythm / lead throughout.Have i got that wrong ?

Yes you have - there are at least two parts on that track (probably three). It sounds to me like the rhythm guitar track is muted when a lead fill is played - and put back in the mix to fill the gaps in between. There are certain points where they overlap - so there must be two parts. Also there is noticeably more reverb on the lead parts.

There is a riff which features regularly throughout the song which is played on the D, G & B strings. It starts with a Dmin triad (7th fret on D string, 7th fret on G string and 6th fret on the - if you listen carefully it almost sounds as though there is a chorus pedal on that section - in reality, it's probably the same part being played twice (both by Mark Knopfler, rather than him and his brother - the timing is spot on). Again, the rhythm guitar track (presumably David Knopfler) is muted during these sections.

Alnico

Thanks Richard.
I will listen to it again with that in mind.

Grunfeld

richardhomer said:

 if you listen carefully it almost sounds as though there is a chorus pedal on that section - in reality, it's probably the same part being played twice (both by Mark Knopfler, rather than him and his brother - the timing is spot on).

I hadn't considered that.  I thought it was a chorus pedal being kicked in and out.

EricTheWeary

Grunfeld;993463" said:

richardhomer said:

 if you listen carefully it almost sounds as though there is a chorus pedal on that section - in reality, it's probably the same part being played twice (both by Mark Knopfler, rather than him and his brother - the timing is spot on).





I hadn't considered that.  I thought it was a chorus pedal being kicked in and out.

Part of the album was made using a JC120 so that seems possible? Quick Google says he gigged with an old Vibrolux but used the Roland and a Fender Twin on the album.

Danny1969

This, and just about all the other isolated tracks floating about are STEM's which have been prepared for Guitar Hero and Rock band. For the game to work things have to be on a separate track but that track is a stem of the parts including doubling, effects and can be made from both the rhythm and lead tracks 

I've been gigging the song for years, great fun for me and I've tried to get closer and closer to it being note for note. His playing on it is so good I want to try and nail it. 

richardhomer

Grunfeld;993463" said:

I hadn't considered that.  I thought it was a chorus pedal being kicked in and out.

Towards the end there's a bit where the tuning sounds more noticeably 'out' - as though he used heavier vibrato on one part than he did on the other - which leads me to believe it was doubled. I may be wrong - it's always interesting to try to 'reverse engineer' how a recording was done.

I've listened to it again on headphones - there are two rhythm parts, panned hard left and hard right - the lead parts are in the middle.

So at least three parts - possibly four!

Danny1969

richardhomer said:

Grunfeld;993463" said:

I hadn't considered that.  I thought it was a chorus pedal being kicked in and out.

Towards the end there's a bit where the tuning sounds more noticeably 'out' - as though he used heavier vibrato on one part than he did on the other - which leads me to believe it was doubled. I may be wrong - it's always interesting to try to 'reverse engineer' how a recording was done.

I've listened to it again on headphones - there are two rhythm parts, panned hard left and hard right - the lead parts are in the middle.

So at least three parts - possibly four!

Your not wrong, it's a Guitar hero stem removed from a Mogg file which is the format the game uses. 

Anyone interested in isolated tracks, download a Mogg file and open it with Audacity. You can then solo tracks and hear them \ export them in isolation. I have hundreds of them

Alnico

Dire Straits Live at 'The Dog and Duck'.......................

thebreeze

I found "JustinGuitar" a pretty good breakdown and explanation for this song.  Breaks it into four parts, one rhythm and three lead.  It may be a bit simplistic for some folks but I noticed that Mark Knopfler himself had given the website a positive and supportive review so I imagine he approves of the version/explanation.

froglord

I'm working my way through the JustinGuitar version. Sounds good! Although I kind of wish Guitar George didn't know all the chords...

close2u

JustinGuitar lessons here: http://www.justinguitar.com/en/ST-322-SultansOfSwing.php

close2u

btw - Justin is releasing full length lessons for Lady Writer starting later this weekend