While listening, to things like western swing, for instance, I'd work something out in my head, then play it on my National; not the same song, but one that captured the feeling of the original tune. Mark Knopfler More Quotes by Mark Knopfler More Quotes From Mark Knopfler Every guitar I own gets used and has its purpose. Mark Knopfler guitar used purpose I was into playing American music, especially the blues. Mark Knopfler american-music I'm not a collector, however, and I have no desire to own 50 or 60 guitars. Mark Knopfler collectors guitar desire There's so many different worlds. Mark Knopfler different-worlds different world Well, I was born in Scotland and spent the first six years of my life there. Then I went to Newcastle-On-Tyne in northeast England, close to Scotland. Mark Knopfler scotland years firsts There happened to be guitar classes at the college, and there was a guitar teacher there with whom I used to play. In addition, I also would go out into country schools and teach little kids basic guitar and singing a few times a week. Mark Knopfler teacher country kids I bad a piano long before I bad a guitar, and the practice I got just playing those three chords in a basic 12-bar blues song was very important. Mark Knopfler guitar practice song I love Gibsons, and Nationals, too. There's something magical about them. Mark Knopfler guitar I'm also getting an Ovation Legend, because I like them so much. Mark Knopfler ovation legends I used to go to the school folk club with my songs when I was only 13 or so and say "this is a traditional folk song" and sing it with a bad Irish accent to disguise the real source. Mark Knopfler real song school My playing is fairly straightforward, really, and everything's pretty much standard no frills or special effects. Mark Knopfler frills standards special I don't know whether your heart ever necessarily changes, but time changes the way that you perceive the world. And you just hope it gives you more empathy and all those other things. Mark Knopfler you hope heart time If you're thinking the road ahead is a little shorter than the one behind you, you're thinking about trying to write a good song and hoping to make a decent record of it. Mark Knopfler good you song thinking For me, songwriting is really where it's at. I turn to use the guitar just to help me write the songs. That's it. As a result, my guitar playing suffers pretty horribly. Mark Knopfler help result me guitar I actually spend as much time listening to new music as to old. Probably more. I just try to get something out of it all. Mark Knopfler new music listening time I like to buy records for people, make a present of the music. Mark Knopfler present like music people Whenever a political regime or religious establishment refuses to tolerate criticism, it advertises itself as repressive, backward, and insecure. Mark Knopfler backward tolerate political criticism We used to play in a theater club in London called The King's Head. When the theater let nut, around 10:00 P.M., we'd be ready to go and really get it on for about an hour or so. Mark Knopfler king go ready play The music just tends to be a vehicle for that poetry. Mark Knopfler just vehicle music poetry After a while, though, the group just wasn't a good vehicle for the songs I'd written. Mark Knopfler songs just good group
