Mark Knopfler - always doing something different and unique...

[Mikeymac]

Of course this is from way back; an old, OLD video of Dire Straits playing Sultans of Swing...

But two things stand out - the major one is Mark's unique picking style...which is NO pick, but using his fingers to do his own chicken-pickin' thing...

...the other is that he has his guitar strap attached a screw on his Strat's neck plate, NOT on the upper horn where they've always gone! He even has the upper horn strap knob removed!

Just thought that was interesting... works for him!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaAE33rMTSk

[Rockysdad]

I've always been a huge fan of Mark Knopfler ( Dire Straits )

The albums Making Movies & Love Over Gold, are great, I never tire of listening to them.

[ducktrapper]

He appears to have a thumb pick positioned way up his thumb instead of over his nail.

[jpmist]

Good eye!

Watching him live in that vid, he's such a hot-dog isn't he? I suppose that's showbiz . . .

I knew about him not using a pick (copying many of his songs, that's how I finally did it) but I suppose you caught that he usually plants his right hand pinky & ring finger when "plucking"? Yikes, I would never do that - I can see why he does that to do his 16th notes, but glad I don't have to . . .

[ducktrapper]

Good eye!

Watching him live in that vid, he's such a hot-dog isn't he? I suppose that's showbiz . . .

I knew about him not using a pick (copying many of his songs, that's how I finally did it) but I suppose you caught that he usually plants his right hand pinky & ring finger when "plucking"? Yikes, I would never do that - I can see why he does that to do his 16th notes, but glad I don't have to . . .

He's a fine player and whatever works for him is okay with me. I've seen guys who place the pick like that and I've tried it and while it's easy enough to play with it like that, it's difficult to get it on the thumb over the knuckle.  

[tuffythepug]

1988 Sacramento, California.   Up front seats for Knopfler opening for Clapton.  Knopfler's technique was mesmerizing.          Clapton was....well....Clapton.     I'd seen him with Cream and once before on tour with Deep Purple.   I haven't been to more than a handfull of good live shows in the last ten years.   

[ducktrapper]

1988 Sacramento, California.   Up front seats for Knopfler opening for Clapton.  Knopfler's technique was mesmerizing.          Clapton was....well....Clapton.     I'd seen him with Cream and once before on tour with Deep Purple.   I haven't been to more than a handfull of good live shows in the last ten years.   

Probably have to say good bye to all that. Get used to streaming. Things will never be the same. 

[Paraclete]

Sultans was one of the first songs i fixated on when I first started playing electric and studying blues guitar.  His right hand technique always drives me a bit crazy...the way he plants his ring and pinky finger (yeah, definitely unusual), but I was obsessed with the idea of hybrid picking, as I could never get used to playing with a flat pick.

[jpmist]

Sultans was one of the first songs i fixated on when I first started playing electric and studying blues guitar.  His right hand technique always drives me a bit crazy...the way he plants his ring and pinky finger (yeah, definitely unusual), but I was obsessed with the idea of hybrid picking, as I could never get used to playing with a flat pick.

"Sultans of Swing" and that whole first album was in heavy rotation on my cassette tape mixes while driving to my first real job after finally finishing school. Knopfler's lead fills were always great and I remain a stanch fan since. My acoustic technique at that point was what I think is called "hybrid"- I had a pick but I also grabbed strings with my middle and ring where I could. But songs like "Sailing to Philadelphia" just didn't work that way so thanks to Knopfler, I learned to drop the pick. That song remains a challenge with an odd "hitch" in the picking pattern.

Apologies if I ruffled feather's calling him a "hotdog" I assure all it was affectionate! 

[Hooked]

Would that I was such a "hotdog"!