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Learn to play blues guitar.

Mark Knopfler Rhythm and Lead Guitar Lesson – EP110

Description

I’ve done a few Mark Knopfler style lessons in the past, but I wanted to create one that shows his very unique way of playing fingerstyle (using 3 fingers). This lesson has a repeating rhythm and every other time a 1 bar lead is introduced (playing within the A minor pentatonic scale). The Part 1 video shows you how to play the rhythm (and includes a version played with a pick for those of you that aren’t comfortable with fingerstyle). Part 2 shows how to play the 3 lead parts.

Part 1 (Free Guitar Lesson)

Part 2 (For Premium Members)

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Slow Walk-Through (For Premium Members)

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Video Tablature Breakdown

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Comments

  2. Thanks a lot for this one Brian. Ever since the “Money for Nothing” intro I’m a fan of Mark Knopfler. I hope I’ll be ready to get to this lesson VERY soon.

  3. This is rhythm guitar enhancement at its finest, Brian! Mark has this superior method of playing very cool rhythm………..the repetitive style but done so it never gets old!! This is what of course put Knopfler permanently on the map many, many years ago yet this style never gets old!!

    Jim C.

  5. Hi Brian.. My first comment since becoming a new member..

    Loving the way you do things and really appreciate the Mark Knopfler stuff as he was my first guitar hero alongside Hank Marvin.. It is only the last few years that I have got into Blues and your course will help a lot with that too..

    Gotta get this one down though. .Great!

    Steve UK

  6. Brian what an interesting lesson. It will take me quite a while but its right up there for the must do it list. thanks gota get that groove too addictive for words thanks as ever John Strat

  12. This is great, but the percussive bits seem to me harder to get right than they look. Very timely is some excellent advice about practicing which has just appeared on one of the forums from Diem,

  14. Thanks @Dory - I checked out “Something Wrong” by Billy D & The Hoodoos, that picking style is just holding down a chord and picking the bass notes with the right hand (with a little palm muting).  Pretty basic, not sure what I’d call it, other than “palm muted” :)  Cool band, thanks for sharing.

  15. Brain, Sorry to hear of your Grandmothers passing, prayers to you and family..

    Ok what’s not to love about Knopfler? fantastic lesson, I know this may have come out of left field (way out) but I came across this little St. Louis blues band Billy D & The Hoodoos??. when you have time..please tell me what this style picking is? listen to ‘something wrong’ when you have time.. And again thanks Brian finally Guitar Lesson for the average Caveman. grunt! more! 

  17. Exceptional lesson, Brian. Kudos. I love Knopfler, Mayer and Buckingham fingerstyle on electric. Modified claw hammer, or whatever it’s called. Can’t wait to dig in after work. As always your playing and tone is superb.

    That maple fretboard has got to be sticky in humid TN weather….

  18. Thanks for the referrals @Dory - I’m not a studio musician and I just come up with the lessons each week based on feedback I hear from other site members.  As for local jams, I do get together most Tuesday nights at a little place here in Franklin, TN (an awesome bar called Kimbros Picking Parlour), but it’s nothing formal, just bring an acoustic and play with whoever shows up that night 🙂

  20. Oh, forgot to mention, your instruction on so many styles seems amazing! clear understandable and ‘guitar friendly’ some of my other/friends- pickers I shared a little of what I’ve gained from your membership with AM, opps starting to sound like a perk to join, but really I’ve enjoyed so many of your lessons. But I’ve always wonder 1: Are you a studio musician? and 2: do you have a small get together ‘Jams’ (with locals or others) to build the lesson plans? and thanks Brain, keep it coming.. oh yeah it’s that good (:

  25. Another good one Brian. What I tend to do with these groove based lessons is experiment with other ideas and bits of scales that I know (I don’t know a lot of these things) and see where it leads me. One thing that I tried with this groove is throwing in the so-called Hendrix chord E7#9, periodically, as a turnaround. I’m not sure if it’s technically a turn around, but it sounds nice.
    There’s so much information in these lessons that it creates a situation where you can go in many directions. That’s what I love about your teaching.
    Cheers
    Tim
    Toronto

  26. Hey Brian, amazing lesson!!! just curious to know which scale this lesson is based on. Are these A5-C5-D5 chords that we are playing? Or these are major chords from A-Major scale? Not too clear on this…can you help?

  30. @Joe K - make sure you close all tabs that are opened in your browser and close and restart your browser.  There is a conflict in one of the tabs.  Closing them should resolve it.

  31. Brian, brilliant lesson.  Would this type of riff be possible if not in the key of A, incorporating hammer ons to open strings.
    ps longtime fan of Dire Straits and Mark Knopfer. (he has some iconic songs with his new band also)
    Thanks
    Jon.

  32. Oh Brian, Brian, Brian, what have you been and done!?! “Money For Nothing” is totally the reason for me getting into guitars. Not only is it one of my all time favourite songs but before guitars I used to take drum lessons and practice on drums. One time, I tried getting a band together and while trying to program the guitar part of ‘Money For Nothing’ into my computer I got so intrigued by the parts, I decided to buy a guitar and try and learn to play the song.

    Mark Knopflers’ technique is definitely unique and this lesson is a brilliant introduction to the foundation of the technique. Keep up the good work!

  33. This is a wonderful lesson Brian, I wonder if you have any advice for acoustic guitar players who may have some trouble with doing a full tone bend on the 3rd string as in lick 3 ? I can only really manage a half tone bend which I think plays the blue note from the A blues scale but doesn’t sound quite right in this Chuck Berry style lick. Thanks

  34. Ive been at this for a week and making some progress. This doesn’t come naturally to me. Love the groove though. Good project, and I am enjoying it. Hopefully after a month I will be better.

  36. This has been a great lesson for me. Fun from the start and lots of room to grow without getting bored with it. As a bonus, I’ve discovered it works well with slide too. It’d the first song I’ve figured out how to play slide to in standard tuning. My goal is to post my first video once I get more proficient and get up to speed. I’m at 3/4 speed so far.

  40. this lesson struck a chord for me. i’m a 70 year old , coming off a 25 year hiatus. back in the day, i was a respectable 5 string banjo player; but after a time i totally burned out on bluegrass, & circa 1992 i stopped playing completely. sold a the stuff; banjos, donors, pedal steels, etc.; kept 1 1969 Guild D50 that has been in the box for 25 years. Knopfler style is a natural for me, & the way you composed the lessons is exceptional. i honestly can not praise you enough for this one! Thanks. by the way, folks have said that my banjo experience should make finger style guitar a snap for me; couldn’t be further from the truth. i fact, it has made alternating bass finger style a problem. as you well know, they are very different animals. again, well done! Thank you. Allen W

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