The Dire Straits Rhythm

We take a look at this signature Dire Straits rhythm which we all know and love from Sultans of Swing.

Outside of simply learning this rhythm and this song, there's a lot of interesting background information that explains how Mark Knopfler came to find/learn and then implement the rhythm for this iconic song.

Background info

Mark Knopfler's guitar rhythm in Sultans of Swing (released in 1978, written in 1977) is a combination of fingerpicking, syncopation, and swing-inspired phrasing. His style in this song is heavily influenced by earlier artists but also has a unique character.

Pre-1977 Songs that influenced Mark Knopfler

While Sultans of Swing has a distinct groove, several earlier songs share elements of its style and timbre (quality of the sound and tone of the guitar):

• J.J. Cale – "Call Me the Breeze" (1971)

  J.J. Cale’s laid-back shuffle and fingerpicking were major influences on Knopfler’s style.

• Bob Dylan – "Meet Me in the Morning" (1975)

  While slower, the bluesy fingerpicking technique is similar.

• Chet Atkins – Various Recordings (1950s–1970s)

  Atkins’ fingerstyle technique was a direct influence on Knopfler.

• Eric Clapton – "Lay Down Sally" (1977)

The Sultans Of Swing/ Dance Hall rhythm - Knopflers secret weapon!

The “Dance Hall” has been massively popular in the Caribbean and South America for hundreds of years, but it’s mostly played on percussion.

and one of the most well known uses of this rhythm is the Shape of you (Ed Sheeran) rhythm.

In my opinion, it was Mark Knopflers genius to take this signature rhythm and play it on guitar; while it’s been played on many Axe songs post 1980 and became massively popular in South America. Axé is a popular music genre originated in Brazil in the 1980s, fusing different Afro-Caribbean genres, such as marcha, reggae, and calypso.

I’ve personally seen Bell Marques live, and it was basically listening to the Dire Straits rhythm for 2 hours! However, I can’t find any evidence of anyone playing that rhythm on guitar pre-1977 at the time of filming.

Sultans of swing composition

"Sultans of Swing" was originally composed by Mark Knopfler on a National Resonator guitar in open tuning. He thought the song was "dull" until he bought his first Fender Stratocaster in 1977: "It just came alive as soon as I played it on that '61 Strat ... the new chord changes just presented themselves and fell into place."

The lyrics were inspired by a performance of a Dixieland jazz band playing in the corner of an almost empty pub in Deptford, South London. At the end of their performance, the lead singer announced their name, the Sultans of Swing; Knopfler found the contrast between the group's dowdy appearance and surroundings and their grandiose name amusing.”