Sultans of Swing — Chords

Dire Straits
Key D minorTuning StandardCapo None

🎼 Main chord progression

Verse
Dm›C›Bb›A
Chorus
F›C›Bb›Dm
Fingerstyle, clean Strat — percussive muted strums between chords.
Chord names for the main progression — a starting point, verify by ear. No lyrics or full tab reproduced.

🎸 How to play each chord

Dm××231
C×321
Bb×12341
A×123
F134211
Standard fingerings (low E → high e). Numbers = which finger; × = don’t play, ○ = open string.

🎛️ The tone — adapted to your gear

1978 Fender Stratocaster · Fender Silverface Vibrolux Reverb

Original amp EQ — bass 6 · mid 4.5 · treble 7.5 · gain 0 · presence 5

🎚️ Get this exact tone on YOUR rig — free →

Full tone breakdown & guide →

❓ Sultans of Swing — FAQ

What key is Sultans of Swing in?

Sultans of Swing is in D minor.

What chords does Sultans of Swing use?

The main progression uses Dm, C, Bb, A, F. Tuning: Standard. Capo: None.

How do I get the Sultans of Swing guitar tone?

GuitarToneAdapt re-dials the original Sultans of Swing tone for the exact guitar, amp and pickups you own — free, in the browser.

🎸 More chords + tones

CreepComfortably NumbNothing Else Matters

Generate more chord progressions in any key → · Transpose these chords / capo finder → · Free online tuner → · Free metronome → · Browse all 1,100+ tones → · Open the free app →

Chords are factual progressions compiled for reference. Tone data © GuitarToneAdapt — adapt any song to your exact rig at guitartoneadapt.com.