Money for nothing Guitar tab video

About this riff

The signature riff is built on double-stops and open-string pull-offs in standard tuning, played fingerstyle rather than with a pick, which is central to getting the snarling attack right. The rhythmic phrasing and palm control matter more than raw speed, so the challenge is nailing the swagger and the pull-off timing cleanly rather than any technically demanding stretches. It's a rewarding part to learn because the groove and articulation carry the song even at a moderate tempo.

Did you know?

The song's famous tone came from a studio accident: producer Neil Dorfsman had set up the session the night before, and when he returned an SM57 microphone had drooped down and was pointing at the floor in front of the amp. Before anyone could reposition it, Knopfler started playing and everyone realized the misaligned mic had unlocked the aggressive, Billy Gibbons–style snarl they'd been chasing, so they left it alone. The core sound was a Les Paul Junior into a Laney amp with a Morley wah pedal rocked partly open.

Sources: [1] [2] [3]

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