Listening to Mark Knopfler by Sean Bray

Listening: A Musician’s most important job.

By Sean Bray

Music is sound and sound is about listening. Whether you are a professional

musician or a student picking up an instrument for the first time, it is extremely important to listen to music. We all have our listening comfort zones musically speaking. We all have a favourite style or band etc. that we tend to listen to more than anything else but it is very important to listen to music outside the comfort zone if you want to grow as a musician.

Over the next little while I will be talking about recordings and guitarists that have either helped shape the way I play or just moved me in someway all the while expanding my musical horizons.

Mark Knopfler

Guitarist, composer, singer, co-founder of Dire Straits Mark Knopfler is one of my favourite guitar players. Mark was born in Glasgow Scotland on August 12th 1949. From an early age Mark was fascinated with the American rock and roll sound as well as the British group The Shadows with Hank

Marvin on lead guitar. This early influence of the Everly Brothers with Chet Atkins playing guitar, early Elvis and Ricky Nelson made a huge impact on what would later be known as the Knopfler sound.

Mark formed the rock group Dire Straits with his brother David in 1977 and

that group became immensely popular selling out stadiums around the world and garnering numerous awards and airplay. Sultans of Swing, So Far Away, Walk Of Life, Money For Nothing, Romeo and Juliet and Twisting By the Pool became huge hits for the band. The group disbanded in 1995 but Mark continued to compose produce and play with other people like Bob Dylan, The Notting Hillbillies, Chet Atkins, Steely Dan, Eric Clapton among many others as well as forging a successful solo career.

Mark has also scored many films including Wag The Dog, Cal, Local Hero, The Princess Bride, Last Exit to Brooklyn etc.

Mark Knopfler is certainly one of the most original rock guitarists fusing many styles together such as country, celtic, folk etc. Check out Dire Straits as well as Mark’s solo recordings like Shangri- -La, Sailing To Philadelphia and All The Road Running with Emmylou Harris.

Sean Bray is a master teacher at Elite Music Academy offering expert guitar instruction to serious students and aspiring musicians. For a free guitar consultation please contact the main desk of Elite Music at 416 406 5355 ext 1.