Sultans Of Swing Tab by Dire Straits

Sultans Of Swing tab by Dire Straits

Guitar Tab

Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits: Guitar, Bass & Songwriting Insights

"Sultans of Swing" by Dire Straits is a masterclass in Mark Knopfler's fingerpicking guitar technique, known as the "pinch harmonic." Knopfler's distinctive Stratocaster sound, combined with his storytelling lyrics and laid-back vocals, helped the song become a hit in 1978. The song features a clean, jazzy guitar solo and a tight rhythm section anchored by John Illsley's melodic bass lines. Produced by Muff Winwood, the track showcases the band's signature sound that would define their career.

Title: Sultans of Swing
Artist: Dire Straits
Album: Sultans of Swing

Transcribed by Phil Laing (jimmi_pgl@hotmail.com).
If you find any mistakes be sure to tell me.

[---xX---] means repeat that part X times.

I suggest referring to the music, particularly for the solos.

e---------|-------|-------|-5-8-5---|---------|
b---------|-------|---6---|-------6-|-5h6p5---|
g-5-5-5h7-|---5-7-|-----7-|---------|-------7-|
D---------|-7-----|-7-----|---------|---------|
A---------|-------|-------|---------|---------|
E---------|-------|-------|---------|---------|

🎸

Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -

e-----|
b-----|
g-4b~-|
D-----|
A-----|
E-----|

e-----------------|
b-/10-10-10h11-10-|
g-----------------|
D-----------------|
A-----------------|
E-----------------|

e-------------|
b-5-5-6-6p5---|
g-----------7-|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E-------------|

e-------------|-------------|----------|
b---------6---|-------------|----------|
g-----7-----7-|-3-3-3-3h5-5-|--------5-|
D-5h7---7-----|-------------|----5-7---|
A-------------|-------------|-/7-------|
E-------------|-------------|----------|

e--------------------|
b-/10-10-11-11-10-10-|
g--------------------|
D--------------------|
A--------------------|
E--------------------|

e-10p9--------------|
b------10---------5-|
g---------9-7p6-----|
D---------------7---|
A-------------------|
E-------------------|

e-------------|
b-5-5-6-6p5---|
g-----------7-|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E-------------|

(1:06)

e-10p9----|-------------|
b------10-|-------------|
g---------|-3-3-3-3h5-5-|
D---------|-------------|
A---------|-------------|
E---------|-------------|

e-------------|
b-------------|
g-3-3-3-3h5-5-|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E-------------|

e---------------5---|------------------------|
b-6p5---6-6p5-5---8-|-6p5---6-6p5-5----------|
g-----7-------------|-----7----------------5-|
D-------------------|------------------5-7---|
A-------------------|---------------/7-------|
E-------------------|------------------------|

(1:33)

e-9-8-9-|-------|
b-------|----10-|
g-------|-10----|
D-------|-------|
A-------|-------|
E-------|-------|

e---------------9--------------|
b-------10---10---10p8-12-8BrB-|
g-(8)/9----9-------------------|
D------------------------------|
A------------------------------|
E------------------------------|

e---------------|
b-----8---------|
g-7/9---9-7-7-7-|
D---------------|
A---------------|
E---------------|

e-----10-8----|-------------|------------|
b----------10-|-------------|------------|
g-/10---------|-3-3-3-3h5-5-|---5---5-/7-|
D-------------|-------------|-7---7------|
A-------------|-------------|------------|
E-------------|-------------|------------|

(2:02)

e-----|
b-----|
g-7b~-|
D-----|
A-----|
E-----|

e-/9-9--------------------|
b------10--------------10-|
g---------9-9-------------|
D-------------12p11-11----|
A-------------------------|
E-------------------------|

e-------------|
b-5-5-6-6p5---|
g-----------7-|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E-------------|

(2:20)

e-----------------|-------------|
b-----7---6-5-----|-------------|
g-5h7---7-----6h7-|-3-3-3-3h5-5-|
D-----------------|-------------|
A-----------------|-------------|
E-----------------|-------------|

e-------------|
b-------------|
g-3-3-3-3h5-5-|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E-------------|

e---------------5---|------------------------|
b-6p5---6-6p5-5---8-|-6p5---6-6p5-5----------|
g-----7-------------|-----7----------------5-|
D-------------------|------------------5-7---|
A-------------------|---------------/7-------|
E-------------------|------------------------|

(2:46)

e-----12---------13-|
b-12B----12b--10----|
g-------------------|
D-------------------|
A-------------------|
E-------------------|

e-12p9--------------|------|
b------10---------5-|-9brb-|
g---------9-7p6-----|------|
D---------------7---|------|
A-------------------|------|
E-------------------|------|

e---------------|
b-----8---------|
g-7/9---9-7-7-7-|
D---------------|
A---------------|
E---------------|

e-----------|-------------|
b-------6---|-------------|
g-----7---7-|-3-3-3-3h5-5-|
D-5h7-------|-------------|
A-----------|-------------|
E-----------|-------------|

e-------------|
b-------------|
g-3-3-3-3h5-5-|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E-------------|

e---------------5---|------------------------|
b-6p5---6-6p5-5---8-|-6p5---6-6p5-5----------|
g-----7-------------|-----7----------------5-|
D-------------------|------------------5-7---|
A-------------------|---------------/7-------|
E-------------------|------------------------|


[1st Solo](3:28)

e---------------------------------|----------------12B-|
b---------------------------------|-------------15-----|
g-12B-12b-12b-12b-10h12p10-9h10p9-|----------14--------|
D---------------------------------|-11-12-14-----------|
A---------------------------------|--------------------|
E---------------------------------|--------------------|

e-10-----------------------------------------|
b----10-------10-13-11h13p11-10-11-9h10-(10)-|
g-------10-----------------------------------|
D----------12--------------------------------|
A--------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------|

e-------13-------------13-12--------------------|
b-9b-10----13----------------13-8h10-8-13-13-13-|
g-------------12-10-10--------------------------|
D-----------------------------------------------|
A-----------------------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------------------|

e-----10---------------13p10-----------------------|
b-13B----11-13B-13B-10-------10h13-13B-10-10-------|
g--------------------------------------------12p10-|
D--------------------------------------------------|
A--------------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------------|

e-----------------------------------|
b-----------------------------------|
g--------10------9-10h12-10-9h10h12-|
D-8-8-12----8-10--------------------|
A-8---------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------|

e--------------------------------------------------------|
b--------------------------------------------------------|
g--------10-------------------------12-------------------|
D---8-12----12-12h14-10-12-10-12/14----14\12-10-12-12-12-|
A-8------------------------------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------------------|

e---------------5---|------------------------|
b-6p5---6-6p5-5---8-|-6p5---6-6p5-5----------|
g-----7-------------|-----7----------------5-|
D-------------------|------------------5-7---|
A-------------------|---------------/7-------|
E-------------------|------------------------|

e---------|
b-------7-|
g--5h7----|
D---------|
A---------|
E---------|

(4:17)

e-----------------------------------|
b------------12/14-14-/17-17--14-15-|
g-6/14-14---------------------------|
D---------11------------------------|
A-----------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------|

  d u d
e---9-9--|
b-6-6-6--|
g-5---5--|
D--------|
A--------|
E--------|

That's a bit of a stretch so you might want to
use this chord, though it doesn't sound as good:

[e-9--]
[b-x--]
[g-9--]
[D-11-]
[A----]
[E----]

e---------|-------|
b-----8---|----11-|
g-7/9---9-|-------|
D---------|-12----|
A---------|-------|
E---------|-------|

(4:38)

e---------------|-------------|
b---------------|-------------|
g-7---10---10-7-|-3-3-3-3h5-5-|
D---7----7------|-------------|
A---------------|-------------|
E---------------|-------------|

e-------------|
b-------------|
g-3-3-3-3h5-5-|
D-------------|
A-------------|
E-------------|

e---------------5---|------------------------|
b-6p5---6-6p5-5---8-|-6p5---6-6p5-5----------|
g-----7-------------|-----7----------------5-|
D-------------------|------------------5-7---|
A-------------------|---------------/7-------|
E-------------------|------------------------|


[2nd Solo](4:59)

e-------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------
b-------------------|-----------------------------------|(10\8)-10p8--------
g-12B-12-10-12-10p7-|-12b-12-7h9p7-5h7p5----------------|-----------10h12p10--12
D-------------------|-------------------5h7p5-----------|-------------------12--
A-------------------|------------------------5h7p5------|-----------------------
E-------------------|-----------------------------8-5-3-|-----------------------

e------------8--------|-8--------8------|------10---------------------------|
b---8h10p8-----10-8---|---8-10-----8-10-|---10----10-8-8------8--------10-8-|
g-9--------9--------9-|--------9--------|----------------10p7---5h7-10------|
D---------------------|-----------------|-7---------------------------------|
A---------------------|-----------------|-----------------------------------|
E---------------------|-----------------|-----------------------------------|

e---------------------12-------|
b------------------13----13-15-|
g------10~------11-------------|
D-9h12-----9h12----------------|
A------------------------------|
E------------------------------|

(5:20) Repeat this while fading:

e[-13p10----10-]-13-[-15p12----12-]-15-|
b[-------10----]----[-------13----]----|
g[-------------]----[-------------]----|
D[-----x8------]----[-----x8------]----|
A[-------------]----[-------------]----|
E[-------------]----[-------------]---

Last updated: July 2, 2025

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