Sultans of Swing

How to play Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 5 you play Am, G, F, E, C, A, the shapes the player above shows.

This is a great song to learn if you want a classic, flowing guitar part that feels lively and confident. At about 149 BPM, it has a steady drive that keeps you moving, but the beginner-friendly chord layout makes it approachable. You get a strong sense of momentum right away, so it is rewarding to play even before it is fully polished.

Most of the chart uses open shapes, with A# being the main barre chord to watch. That means your left hand can stay relaxed for much of the song, then briefly work harder when A# comes up. The opening move from Dm to C to A# to A is the change to focus on, since it sets the shape of the whole progression.

Start by looping Dm to C slowly until the switch feels clean, then add A# and A. Once that opening progression feels smooth, play the whole sequence at an easy tempo and raise the speed little by little. Keep your changes even and controlled, and the song will fall into place quickly.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.