If you love fingerstyle guitar and want to add some of Mark Knoplfer’s most iconic songs to your repertoire, then this is the series for you. We will look at three songs across four lessons, Romeo & Juliet, Local Hero and Sultans Of Swing. Each song brings its own challenges, ranging from arpeggiating picking hand patterns, to strumming and lead work. But no plectrum is in use.
You can purchase individual levels or the complete series.
Originally recorded live between January and May 2026 and taught as a live Guitar Weekends online course. You’ll receive the complete lesson recording and detailed course materials, allowing you to pause, rewind and learn at your own pace. Selected courses may also include backing tracks and additional resources.
You will receive 4 x 1hr video links plus the lesson pdfs via email after payment has been confirmed.
Run by:
Andy Moore
Venue:
SHOP PURCHASE,
Dive into the unmistakable guitar style of Mark Knopfler in this comprehensive Dire Straits series. Across four sessions and around five hours of tuition, you’ll explore the fingerstyle techniques, touch, phrasing and musical approach behind three iconic songs.
We’ve created bespoke arrangements designed to work whether you’re playing solo or as the only guitarist in a band, giving you great new material to add to your repertoire.
Each session includes a detailed lesson PDF and a recording of the complete lesson, giving you everything you need to practise and develop the material at your own pace. Sultans Of Swing comes with an additional backing track.
In this first of four sessions we will be looking at one of Mark Knopfler’s most loved songs, Romeo & Juliet. It first appeared on the 1980 album Making Movies and was released as a single in 1981. The song subsequently appeared on the Dire Straits live albums Alchemy and On The Night, and later on Knopfler’s live duet album with Emmylou Harris, Real Live Roadrunning.
We will be taking the iconic guitar picking part and merging it with the vocal melody so that you have a stand alone solo guitar arrangement of the song.
Important – We will play in standard tuning but you will need a capo for the session.
In this second of four sessions we will be looking at Mark Knopfler’s iconic film score piece, ‘Going Home’ from the film score for ‘Local Hero’. The piece was the debut solo single by Knopfler, and charted at number 56 in the UK. Although it charted low, it remains one of Knopfler’s most known and loved pieces.
We will be taking the iconic guitar picking part and merging it with knopflers melody so that you have a stand alone solo guitar arrangement of the song.
Below you can watch the version we will teach you, played by the tutor himself.
In this third sessions we will be looking at one of Mark Knopfler’s most iconic songs. Dire Straits recorded a demo at Pathway Studios, North London, in July 1977, and it acquired a following after it was put in rotation on BBC Radio London. After Dire Straits signed a record contract with Phonogram Records, they rerecorded it in February 1978 at Basing Street Studios for their debut album, Dire Straits.
For guitar lovers it is one of those must learn songs, weaving together superb rhythm playing with standout lead licks. This session sits perfectly alongside our Blitzing Your Fingerstyle Series.
In this fourth and final session, we will be looking at Mark Knopfler’s iconic song, Sultans of Swing. The two solos are now regarded as some of the most iconic lead guitar playing laid down to record. Mark Knoplfer himself states that if he misses out any of the twiddly bits then the song just doesn’t hit right live.
We’ll be breaking down both the main solos over a 75min session.
This session sits perfectly alongside our Blitzing Your Fingerstyle Series.
You’ll receive:
This series sits perfectly alongside our Blitzing Your Fingerstyle Series.
Most of the material is for high intermediate levels of acoustic, electric guitarists who can already fingerpick. But for Sultans of Swing, you should expect advanced solo techniques.
The session is ideal for players who want to:
As a guide you should be familiar with:
Things you won’t need to know (but you should definitely not ignore them):
This online course includes: