"Tunnel Of Love" by Dire Straits: Outro Guitar Solo Part 1

Let’s check out the outro guitar solo from Tunnel Of Love by Dire Straits. This is one of the great guitar solos - it’s sensitive, it’s powerful, it’s got great phrasing and awesome techniques, AND it fits the song perfectly!

This is a tricky solo to learn because it’s pretty long, so I suggest you create your own tab for it. Go download your own blank tab and get started. :) It's tricky to write down these rhythms, but also a super-useful skill.

You'll find all the details in the video lesson - below we outline the skills involved and how to use this solo to become a better guitar player.

Outro Solo from Tunnel of Love by Dire Straits: Fingering

We’re going to play it fingerstyle like Mark Knopfler does. I suggest you lay the thumb across the three thickest strings to mute them throughout the solo.

Don’t get too picky with the fingering (pardon the pun) - I don’t know exactly how he does it, and I doubt Mark either knows or cares! If it sounds good, it is good. ;)

Learn The Phrases

In the video, we look at the phrases in a bunch of detail. You'll find a full-speed demo at the start and several slow ones sprinkled throughout. :)

🤔 Which Position? At some points I transcribed the phrases in the wrong CAGED position. It isn’t a huge deal if you play these phrases in other positions, so long as it sounds good, but I’ll teach you what Mark Knopfler did.

The trickiest part of these phrases is the rhythm, so jam with the Dire Straits original at a slower speed, making sure you’re in time, and slowly build up to full speed.

Understand This Guitar Solo

You'll only get the most out of this solo if you understand how each of the phrases relates to the chord it accompanies. I analyzed the first Tunnel Of Love solo in some depth. Check out that lesson as a reference.

If you’re an advanced guitarist, I suggest you write out this solo in tab. If you don’t fancy writing out the rhythm, at least signal beat 1 with a line on your tab. Then write the chords above the bar lines, and start analyzing the notes against the chords. How do the notes relate to the chord underneath them? Are they chord tones, pentatonic notes, or something else?

💡 Keen to do Harmonic Analysis? If you need some extra help with this analysis, check out my Practical Musical Theory course. We learn chord construction, quadad chords, scales, chords in a key, and more - all the tools you need for harmonic analysis.

You can use this info to extract the solos and make them part of your repertoire. Mark Knopfler is a master at making the changes, so learn from him! He reminds me of jazz players because they almost always play chord tones, and he does it smoothly - these are beautiful melodies.

Outro Solo from Tunnel of Love by Dire Straits: Get The Juice From It

I also encourage you to go beyond the notes. It’s not all about putting your fingers in the right place. Focus on the dynamics, the touch, the volume, the feel. There is so much detail in this Dire Straits tune!

👉 Check out the second part of the outro guitar solo from Tunnel Of Love.