Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
“Sultans of Swing” is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits. It was released in 1978 as the band’s debut single and later included on their self-titled debut album. The song was written by lead vocalist and guitarist Mark Knopfler and tells the story of a fictional jazz band playing in a bar.
e|————————————-5-8-5—————-|
B|——-3–3-3——————6—-6—–6-5h6p5———|
G|—2-2-2–2-2–5-5-5-7—–7—-7–7————-7–5-7—|
D|-0-0-0-0–0-0–5-5-5-7–5h7—7————————7–|
A|-0————–x-5—————————————|
E|———————————————————-|[Verse 1]Dm C Bb A A7
You get a shiver in the dark, It’s raining in the park, but meantime
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Dm C Bb A
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
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D|-2/11–11-11———-7-|
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F C
A band is blowing Dixie double four time
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Bb Dm Bb C
You feel all right when you hear that music ring
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B|——-6—–x-3-6–x-3/5———-|
G|—-7—7\2–x-3-3–x-3/5——–5-|
D|-5h7-7——-x-3—-x-3/5—–5h7–|
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Well now you step inside but you don’t see too many faces
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D|—11–11-11-11-11——-9–7——|
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Dm C Bb A
Coming in out of the rain to hear the jazz go down
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F C
Competition in other places
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B|-5-5–6-6-5-3———————-|
G|-5-5–5-5-5-3———————-|
D|-5-5–7-7-5-3———————-|
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Bb Dm Bb C
But the horns, they’re blowing that sound
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B|—-10—10-x–3-6-x-x–3/5-5-5—-|
G|—-10-9-10-x–3-3-x-x–3/5-5-5—-|
D|-x-x———–3-3-x-x–3/5-5-5—-|
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Way on down south
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B|—-x-3-6–3/5———————|
G|–5-x-3-3–3/5———————|
D|-5–x-3—-3/5———————|
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way on down south London town
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
e|——————————————————————-|
B|—6-5-3—6–6p5-x-5——-10-8-8-8–6-5-3–6–6p5-x-5————|
G|—5-5-3—5-5—-x-5–5/10-10—–9–5-5-3–5-5—-x-5———-5-|
D|—7-5-3—7–7p5-x-5—————–7-5-3–7–7p5-x-5——-5h7–|
A|———————————————————x-5/7—–|
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You check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords
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B|——8-7-8——10-10————-|
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Dm C Bb A
Mind he’s strictly rhythm he doesn’t want to make it cry or sing
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B|—-5-5-8b10–pbr8(10)—–8b10r8b10r8b10–pbr8(10)p6—|
G|-7b9———————-0—————————–|
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F C Bb
Yes, and an old guitar is all he can afford
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B|—-8-8\6-6-6-6——————–|
G|-7/9–9\7-7-7-7——————–|
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When he gets under the lights to play his thing
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B|———-10-10-x-3-x-6–3-3/5-5—————-|
G|-9/10—9-10-10-x-3-x-3–3-3/5-5——-5-5-5/7–|
D|——————3-x—-3-3/5-5—-5h7-7-7—–|
A|———————————5/7————|
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And Harry doesn’t mind if he doesn’t make the scene
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G|-7b9r7b9r7b9r7b9——————-|
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Dm C Bb A A7
He’s got a daytime job he’s doing alright
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B|-12b14–10————–0-8b10—–|
G|———-9h10p9–7-6-4-0———-|
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F C
He can play the honky tonk like anything
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Bb Dm Bb
Saving it up for Friday night
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B|——6-5p4—3-6-3-3/5-5———-|
G|—-7——7–3-3-3-3/5-5———-|
D|-5/7-7——–3-3-3-3/5-5———-|
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C Bb C
With the Sultans,
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B|–x-3-6–3-3/5-5——————-|
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D|–x-3—-3-3/5-5——————-|
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with the Sultans of Swing
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
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B|—6-5-3—6–6p5-x-5——-10-8–8–6-5-3–6–6p5-x-5————|
G|—5-5-3—5-5—-x-5–5/10-10–0-9–5-5-3–5-5—-x-5———-5-|
D|—7-5-3—7–7p5-x-5—————-7-5-3–7–7p5-x-5——-5h7–|
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And a crowd of young boys they’re fooling around in the corner
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B|-12b14—-pbr12(14)p10————–|
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Dm C Bb A A7
Drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies, and their platform soles
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
e|-12p9———5———————|
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G|——-9–7-6-0-x—pbr12(14)-12b14-|
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F C
They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
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G|-7/9–9\7-7-7-7———————|
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Bb Dm Bb
It ain’t what they call rock and roll
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
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G|—–7-10-7——3-3-x-3s5———|
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C Bb
And the Sultans,
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
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C Dm
yeah the Sultans, they played Creole. Creole.
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B|—6-5-3—6–6p5-x-5——-10-8-8-8–6-5-3–6–6p5-x-5————|
G|—5-5-3—5-5—-x-5–5/10-10—–9–5-5-3–5-5—-x-5———-5-|
D|—7-5-3—7–7p5-x-5—————–7-5-3–7–7p5-x-5——-5h7–|
A|———————————————————x-5/7—–|
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Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
[Instrumental]e|————————————————————|B|–8b10–8b9/10-8b9/10–pbr8(10)–6h8p6–5h6p5—————|
G|————————————————————|
D|—————————————————-11——|
A|—————————————————x——–|
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Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
e|——9-12b13b14r12–10—————————————–|
B|—10——————10——-10-13-11h13p11–9-10—11-x-x—|
G|–9———————–10————————–x———|
D|—————————-12———————————-|
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e|——————————13—————-12h13-12————-|
B|-9-10-10–10———-13——–13———————-13———–|
G|—-0–0—0—–12b14–12bh14—-(14)r12-10-10———–12-14p12—|
D|————x-x——————————————————|
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e|—————————————13p10–10——————|
B|-13-13–13b15-(15)r13–13b15-13b15r13–10—10—13b15-10———|
G|———————15———————————-12-10\3–|
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Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
e|——————————————————————-|
B|—3-6-3—5-6s8-6-5h6s8s3—3-6-3-3s5————-8—————|
G|–3——-5—————–3——3s5–5–7-5-7bh9-(9)r7-5-7-7\2–|
D|-3——-5—————–3——-3s5-5—————————|
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B|—6-5-3—6–6p5-x-5——-10-8-8-8–6-5-3–6–6p5-x-5————|
G|—5-5-3—5-5—-x-5–5/10-10—–9–5-5-3–5-5—-x-5———-5-|
D|—7-5-3—7–7p5-x-5—————–7-5-3–7–7p5-x-5——-5h7–|
A|———————————————————x-5/7—–|
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And then the man he steps right up to the microphone
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
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B|——-10—-12/14-14—14/17–15—15–|
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D|–5/11-11-11-12/14—-14–/17—-15-15–|
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Dm C Bb A
And says at last just as the time bell rings
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
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F C
goodnight now it’s time to go home’
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
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G|–7/9-9-9—-10-10—————–|
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Bb Dm
Then he makes it fast with one more thing
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B|——6-6——–3-6-x–3/5-5——|
G|—-7–7-7–7-x–3-3-x–3/5-5——|
D|-5/7-7—–7–x–3—x–3/5-5——|
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C Bb
‘We are the Sultans,
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B|–3-6-x–3/5-5———————|
G|–3-3-x–3/5-5———————|
D|–3—x–3/5-5———————|
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C Dm
we are the sultans of Swing
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
e|——————————————————————-|
B|—6-5-3—6–6p5-x-5——-10-8-8-8–6-5-3–6–6p5-x-5————|
G|—5-5-3—5-5—-x-5–5/10-10—–9–5-5-3–5-5—-x-5———-5-|
D|—7-5-3—7–7p5-x-5—————–7-5-3–7–7p5-x-5——-5h7–|
A|———————————————————x-5/7—–|
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B|-8b10–8-6-8-6—pbr8(10)-8-5h8p5-3h5p3——————-|
G|————–7————————5h7p5-5—5——–|
D|———————————————5h7p5——–|
A|—————————————————5h7p5–|
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e|——————————-8——-8——-8——-8———|
B|–x-10p8–8————8h10p8–8h10p8–8h10p8–8h10p8–8h10p8—-|
G|-x——10-10-7–7–7h9——9——-9——-9——-9——-9—|
D|—————————————————————–|
A|—————————————————————–|
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e|–8——————–10——————————————-|
B|–8h10-8————-10–13p10–10—————10——-10—–11-|
G|———x-x-x–12b14———12–12p10——–10–12—-x—-0-x—|
D|——-0-x-x-x————————-12-10h12———x——x—-|
A|——————————————————————–|
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e|———–12——-10-x-x–13p10–10-13p10–10-13p10–10-13p10–10-|
B|-x-x-11bh13–(13)r11————-10——–10——–10——–10—|
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e|-13p10–10-13p10–10-13p10–10-13–x–15p12–12-15p12–12-15p12–12-|
B|——11——–11——–11——x——–13——–13——–13—|
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e|-15p12—15p12–12-15p12–12-15p12–12-15—10-13p10–10-13p10–10–|
B|——13——13——–13——–13——10——–10——–10—-|
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e|-13p10–10-13p10–10-13p10–10-13p10–10-13p10–10-13–x-15p12–12–|
B|——10——–10——–11——–11——–11——x——-13—-|
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e|-15p12–12-15p12–12-15p12–12-15p12–12-15p12–12-15p12–12-15p12—15b17-|
B|——13——–13——–13——–13——–13——–13——–12——-|
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e|–15b17r15-13—13–15bh17r15b17r15-12h15p12—————————-|
B|————-15—13————————13h15p13-10h13p10———–|
G|————————————————————-9h12p9—–|
D|——————————————————————-15\7-|
A|————————————————————————|
E|————————————————————————|
e|——————————————————————-|
B|—6-5-3—6–6p5-x-5——-10-8-8-8–6-5-3–6–6p5-x-5————|
G|—5-5-3—5-5—-x-5–5/10-10—–9–5-5-3–5-5—-x-5———-5-|
D|—7-5-3—7–7p5-x-5—————–7-5-3–7–7p5-x-5——-5h7–|
A|———————————————————x-5/7—–|
E|——————————————————————-|
Sultan Of Swing Guitar Lesson
| / Slide up
| \ Slide down
| h Hammer-on
| p Pull-off
| x Dead note
| b Bend
| r Release
| br Bend release
| pbr Pre-bend release
| brb Bend release bend