Tried playing it your way but I got a blister on my little finger and a blister on my thumb

I'm clapping my hands for two days now. Still no Les Paul.

I’ve been playing along with this video for about a year. I am finally at the 15 second mark in that song,

Money for nothing is the most badass riff ever created.

Thank you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, very precise and useful lesson!

The one quote I’ll take from this is, “ Everyone starts off shitty and hopes to get better “. As a beginner, I often forget that the majority of players were probably once like me. Here’s to getting better !! 🎸🍻

You put a big smile on my face and made me appreciate Knopfler all the more. I've always been a sucker for those subtle, percussive clicks and clacks.

Knopfler is such an amazing guitarist. His style is so unique and recognizable, a single lick or note is enough to know the master is playing.

This guy should be on beer adverts.

"We all start off shitty" -Paul Davids Well said mate.

The FIRST time I've heard anyone nail this riff. So complex -- way to go, Paul!

2:37 that dude passed away :( Kiko Loureiro from Megadeth even tried to raise money to pay for that dude's cancer treatment.

"i wont see that pick again i guess" best guitar teacher/bro ever

2:24 Paul: Now look at them yo yo’s 👀

I've never seen or heard this riff dissected in such great detail. Magical.

Everybody seems to miss the fact that Mark plays certain riffs with an up down motion of his index and thumb - hitting the low string on the way up with his upturned thumb's nail. You can definitely hear it in this song. Every offbeat is an upstroke which is less powerful than the downstrokes that are on the beat. If you manage to master that then the riff comes naturally. It also gives it a groove. If you just try and pinch both strings in the same manner each time you can get close but it'll never sound right. PS. He actually has explained this technique on camera more than once before. He even explained who taught it to him and where he learnt it.

Personnal summary : 0:38 SAMPLE 1 3:11 Effects 3:54 1st Step 4:12 2nd Step 5:55 3rd Step 6:18 Recap of 1 2 3 6:37 4th Step 6:58 5th Step 7:12 6th Step 7:35 Recap of 4 5 6 8:08 7th Step 8:19 8th Step 8:16 SAMPLE 2 8:56 SAMPLE 3 (SLOW)

Perfect for the guitar perfectionist. The subtleties make this great song even greater.

I have learned. This is not something I can always say after viewing KZfaq videos. I agree with your philosophy and I admire your assiduous attention to the subtilties of the "Greatest Riff in Rock History"--which I first heard (and very carefully listened to) whilst moving refrigerators and moving color TVs in 1985. I have a Line 6 James Tyler Variax, which means I CAN clap my hands and get a Les Paul. Your comments on tone and amp head are very helpful, and the rest has earned you a new subscriber.

Regarding Paul saying at the end that you will learn more by learning a song EXACTLY the way it's recorded, I recall an interview with John Frusciante of the RedHCPeppers and he said that he forced himself to learn a really hard Zeppelin song absolutely note for note as a way of getting into game shape before he went on tour... so yeah, Paul's got a point.

3:04 Instructions unclear. Ended up with a Rickenbacker bass.

I just love when you dig deep into the riff to be as accurate as possible, some people would probably said that it's too much and it kills creativity but I think it's exactly the opposite. It's a great work to do

2:55 LMFFFAAAOOO 😂😂😂😂 I'll definitely try to summon a Les Paul though

My compliments to you - I've ALWAYS thought the on-line tabs / lessons for this riff sounded "hollow"...turns out there IS a LOT more going on in there than too many others have thought !! You are spot on with this lesson and it sounds GREAT with those subtleties crafted in - congrats and thanks for sharing !!

That's the way you do it! You play the guitar on the KZfaq?!

Seriously one of the best walkthroughs of why this riff is so amazing, and considered so difficult! Respect man!

Wow! The dynamics are everything in this riff. Amazing that you are teaching these secrets. You're a very talented guitarist Paul.

3:04 " First we definitely need a les paul", i guess I'll show myself out....

Perfect ! How the heck did Mark ever dream this up ? What a master .. and you have mastered perfectly what the master played. I wonder if Mark will ever view this ... I am sure he would be proud of the study you did here.

Sincerely one of your best format. You propose a very good riff and it's really challenging to play it 100%

The way he jumped when he saw the girl I laughed my ass off 😂

Your pursuit for perfection really transpire a sense of admiration and respect for the artist. You are a great teacher!

Finally a guy who appreciates the unique style that Knopfler has. Been to the first concert in my country and it was great.Thanks for showing how to play this song.

Well done! I've heard a few different versions of this on live recordings, and even Mark himself sounds different in many of them. I agree with you about tryign to learn in others' styles. You aren't copying their sound when do this. You are simply adding more colors to your own palette! Sadly, I will have to go home and practice this on my old Kramer Focus, or maybe my Ibanez Strat style guitar. I don't have a magic Genie that will grant me a Les Paul when I clap my hands. (Although I do plan to buy one if I can play enough to earn it...)

I can't help but grin with sheer pleasure every time you pause, realising you've nailed the tone. It's a beautiful moment of self-appreciation :D

Thanks for keeping it real. It has nice combination of dynamics, leverageable open notes, harmonics and groove. You are adding value by pointing these out. He wrote this after visiting an appliance store in NYC and the guy in the back was watching MTV and making these comments.

Love this riff so much! Underrated by many!

LOL! at 2:24 your expression!

Excellent lesson! I couldn't agree more regarding learning the subtleties of how a lick or riff is played.

Great speech at the end and it's why I love this riff so much, so much rawness and chunk to it

Thanks for this awesome explanation! I've found for many years that all tabs dont cover these dynamics. With your help I now can play this song correctly, well almost :-)

Bro.. out of all KZfaqr (guitarists) you are delivering the best and the most minute detailed stuff .. thanks a lot and keep showering your lessons on us 🙌🏻🤸

I learned new things from this video! Thanks a lot for posting this! You really wrestled this riff to the ground, especially the nuances in between.

Really impressive explanation of how to play this riff properly. I enjoy the teaching style, too. It's not just instructional. It's also engaging and fun. A born teacher.

I’m a professional bassist who also plays and writes on guitar: this riff always reminded me of *almost* a slap style bassline in terms of technique. There’s a groove of muted/quieter notes between the obvious ones, and it’s essential for that infectious groove to translate. Once you get it going you don’t want to stop playing it! Fantastic breakdown of an iconic riff that is all about the subtlety and Knopfler’s distinct approach

Love this video. Saw Mark live twice on the down the road wherever tour, and hearing this song live twice was unbelievable. Super underrated master guitarist to me. I have a video of one of the performances where mark makes a funny (extremely rare) error in this song.

Great stuff. Your lessons always educate players that sounding good is more than just the right notes at the right time. Nuance and dynamics are equally important. Again, solid lesson my friend.

Dude where’s my guitar! Thanks for this deeper dive into this ‘less is more’ Knopfler masterpiece. It’s always best to turn it down a bit and expose yourself to the dynamic nuances of the music rather than cranking it and drowning out the technicalities ‘in the name of rock’ as so many amateurs do. I am still learning Sultans after about 10 years (!) but I now struggle to use a pick (I got black mountain so I don’t drop them!), but I think a lot of that signature Mark Knopfler sound also comes from the long bendy thumb that rests and picks out those bass notes too. It’s almost like handwriting, but on an instrument. None of us will truly mimic him. Awesome content as ever sir!

Well done Paul. You've found the nuance that makes this so great. Wish I had your dedication. Keep it going. Mark is a genius and unlike you, I could never emulate that talent. I'm a happy plonker....and know it

No one could say that attempting to emulate Mark Knopfler on guitar is a not good thing, albiet almost impossible! Great video, man!

Love the detail in this. Thanks. Totally agree with what you say at the end. I know everyone is always keen to learn their favourite rock riffs or whatever. But taking that little extra time to play it CORRECTLY as intended really makes it more worthwhile and you'll feel good knowing it's 100% accurate and no short cuts 👍👌

Outstanding demonstration :). Nailed all the nuance and highlighted the stylistic 'in-the-fingers' elements.

I've seen a few covers where people play "Eye of the Tiger" with a wrong note (I'll let you figure that part out). It's a pretty simple riff so there may not be much you can teach about it, but this series reminded me of that because I learned how to play that song carefully and now see some people doing it wrong...

I am sure it has been pointed out. But check out... Mark Knopfler - guitar stories -Trailer - clip #3. Where Mark Knopfler himself says the tone was achieved with a Marshall amp and Wah Wah set in a fixed position. ✌

great guy, ultra likeable, super chill, awesome musician and videos are super well produced - What more can you ask for, great job thank you!

I love your face at 5:05! This is how us, guitarists cherish these little notes, man, I can certainly relate to the feeling! Cheers!

That is a confoundedly simple riff. Knopffler approached the guitar differently, that’s for sure. Thanks for the lesson!

I've never been able to nail this riff, which only heightens my appreciation for Knopfler as a guitarist.

You nailed it... it’s a great combination between power chords and subtlety

You can tell he had so much fun editing that opening bit

2:52 LOL OMG WE LOVE YOU, DUDE Genius touch.

"That was is very nice" 4.50 - one of my favourite quotes, facial expressions and just glee in passing on such a valuable piece of learning.

Been playing guitar for decades. You hit on a very important point. It’s the the dynamics, nuances, subtleties etc that usually make a riff great and this is the perfect example. I play in a cover band and make it my mission to learn the guitar parts as close to the original as possible and frankly, as you imply, my playing has improved over the years because of it.

Brilliant Paul! I record guitar for a backing track company in the UK and have to dissect original guitar parts to this level. Some times I love it and other times not so much, but it's a great way of developing your own style by drawing on those influences. Thanks mate!

Paul is such a perfectionist and, I think that is great. Thanks for showing us the real way to play this. Awesome video.

Reasons for subbing ; guitar(50%) majestic beard(50%)

One of the best and most accurate breakdowns of this song that I have ever seen. Great work!

Fantastic. Love those in-depth analysis of why *this* sounds so much right. Thanks a lot.

So many people play this song wrong bc Mark Knopler is so tough to emulate. His playing is alien to most, including me as I've always either used a pick or with pick and fingers. Playing with no pick in my hand just feels odd after 30 years of playing with one. Mark also plays chords I've never seen before. He's a one of a kind player and one of my top 10 players of all time.

Having read through most of the comments, I have to say . . . You have nailed it Paul . . But only Mark has this style of playing. It is his own composition, and is pretty unique. Nobody else should be expected to replicate it, so they cannot be accused of playing it wrong. Thank you for highlighting the nuances though. I bet even Mark doesn't think about how he does it! It is just his own style. Play one of your own tunes . . and lets see who can't copy it. ; )

GREAT tutorial on this Paul Davids by the way 👍

I love Paul’s objective but firm advice at the end to challenge oneself and learn the nuances from a master. Very Fatherly yet Friendly.

Tried clapping my hands till my fingers bled. Maybe I need to wait till summer?

2:51 I haven't had a good belly laugh like that for months! Instant Sub! And excellent videos

I heard him play this live - touring for On Every Street - He played a few bars (crowd was not as loud as they should have been), paused until there was a roar and then kicked our asses with it. I had heard this song 1000 times before - never like this. You definitely played it perfectly.

I fully agree with you. It's great to hear the exact replication of the riff. Don't let the haters get you down.

2:37 his name is William Lee from Brasil and he died recently . R.I.P great guitar player ...

I clapped twice and Gibson went bankrupt

That's it brother :) good job...I been wanting to see someone show this 100 in detail. You are the first i found on youtube who actually nailed this. You have some talent. God bless you man. This riff, and (Here comes the sun) are a few favorites I see you play.

The is the best description of this riff I have ever seen! THANK YOU!

that's a beautiful LP the top is awesome

That clip of you at 2:50 was great, haha

Always appreciate your videos. Thanks

I'm a new subscriber and new at the guitar. I have to say your channel is the best I've come across and I've spent a lot of time on YT. I'm gonna get this riff down the right way or die trying.

Tone tip: I play this on my Strat with the tone switch set "out of phase" between bridge and middle pickups. On my gear that approximates the tone pretty well.

In interviews, Mark Knopfler admits that he was screwing around with the opening of the ZZ Top riff: LaGrange

Excellent video indeed. Very good instruction and analysis.

Love your approach very true what you explain to try learn riffs fully, this can transfer to your playing techniques as you say. Thank you so much

It's not pretentious if you nail it.:P First time ever I've heard it performed this good. Greetings from Belgium!

2:54 This reaction got my imediate thumbs up hahahaah

I concur wholeheartedly, sir. Your lesson is precise and informative. Thank you.

One of my favorite videos yet! Thank you... So good!

Paul: you definitely need a les Paul to play this Also Paul: plays It with a telecaster

DANKJE! I had this almost my self instead i STARTED the riff Blackmore like with a G over D chord!

Great lesson and wise advice!! Thanks so much for all your lessons !

Really like your tutorials, cool guy and thanks, your chilled approaching is helping me learn :)

Why is there no Mark Knopfler songs in your fingerstyle videos? Heart of Oak, Postcards from Paraguay, intro to Dire Straits Romeo and Juliet, Get Lucky etc.

Paul, I'm a drummer by trade, but I love your videos. Like you've said it's ok to bring your own thing to a riff or a complete tune, but there are some iconic riffs that, if not played correctly, will just ruin the tune. Love your humour too, keep it up!!

Good job Paul. This video was a great help thank you. keep up the good work

Hello Mister Paul Davids. I'm Franz here from Brazil-Sao Paulo-SP. I was in awe of the way you tackled the subtleties and details of this work by Mark Knoplfer (indeed, he is the King). You were very realistic in guiding any guitarist who intends to perform this song. I am in full agreement with you. I'll try to get there, at least close to 70%. Big hug, congratulations and thanks for the class.