My brain hurts…
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Now my brain hurts too and I have to think about how they sort their fingers to the right position… that really makes knots in my brain. 
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Watching my brother play upside down is mesmerizing (faszinierend).
I seem to recall Rory Gallagher advocating that playing acoustic was a good discipline because the heavier strings strengthened the fingers. But now I read that the received wisdom nowadays is that it is not so because for electric you need a lighter touch. So my acoustics may be put away for quite a while…
Alternative would be to put lighter strings on the acoustic? 
Are you ever playing guitar together with your brother?
I also heard Keith Richards advocate learning to play on an acoustic first in an interview. As I recall the reasons were more musical than physical
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I have tried to encourage him recently but he lives in the London area and I live in the North between Liverpool and Manchester so logistically not easy to do. We also share a passion for railways, going back to childhood, so have a tripped planned to the National Railway Museum in York in November.
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Despite all my children having moved away into their own accommodation, today there have been 2 calls on Dad’s taxi service. One to Manchester bus station the other to Manchester Airport. My middle daughter is going camping to a festival until next week and my youngest is flying to Munich to see Adele in concert. In the meantime my married eldest daughter, who has an internship away at Cambridge University for the Summer, has taken my bass, a Strat and a violin with her. That will make her popular with the other residents…music features quite high in the family at the mo.
In between tasks, I’m stuck at home reviewing “Sultans of Swing” and keeping the dog company.
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I’m sure your daughter will make lots of friends, if she has inherited your talent and passion for music. Violin sounds… hmm… challenging for the other residents though… 
Does your dog react to you playing and singing or does he or she ignore it?
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He, Novak, tolerates my playing apart from the blues harp (harmonica) which he howls at. My previous dog, Bismark, used to sing along to “Careless Whispers” by George Michael.
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Novak? Sounds Czech. Czech wolfdog? 
When I first started playing guitar I was still living with my mother and sister and we had a family Bobtail ( who must have had some Irish wolfdog blood … he was that tall and thin…). He would howl every time when he heard an ambulance passing by, but he ignored my playing (and singing) entirely.
Wait, wait, wait … Bismark ( what a great name) could sing? Not protest howl?
Aaah … and the blues harp thing… that’s as accompaniment to playing guitar?
No not Czech, Dalmatian.
And yes I play the blues harp when the dogs not listening with a harness around my neck like Bob Dylan (and Rory Gallagher) to accompany guitar. My father played the harmonica and the accordion (squeeze box not piano).
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Dalmatians are… hmm, hard to train rumours have it?
Been a Dylan fan for quite some time 
I always had a special weakness for the guitar and blues harp combo. My grandfather, who died before I was - I don’t even remember - 4, 5,6 or 7 or so, played blues harp when he was in good mood (which was rare). Best thing on earth for me when I was small 
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Over a year ago I listed songs I wanted to learn. Sultans Of Swing was one of the Grade 6 songs listed. So here is the progress report. I’ve learnt the licks but remembering them all in the right places is a challenge. And also as can be seen, the lyrics alluded me too so I must work on that. I am learning the Alchemy live version. Here it is warts and all, this is one take without any prep which is evidenced by the mike being in the wrong place to start with. Need to tidy it up as above and learn the second solo and ending too.
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What a great song and you seem to be wll on your way, Peter
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That’s sure coming along, sounding good!! It’s my favorite Dire Straits tune, and it’s in my daily playlist for songs I’m listening to, and my dreamer list for songs I dream of playing one day.
Ooo Peter,
It is on my list too … still on the dreamers list because to much to remember …I let you now when I wake up 
Greetings
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That bit shortly before the end… sooo sweet 
I’m looking so forward to follow how this develops!!
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Thanks Mari @Mari63 and David @DavidP . I bought the original vinyl 45 when it came out in 1978 and probably have that still in the loft but no longer a record player!
I deliberately ordered a backing track with just drums and bass as I would want to play this with Rhythm and Lead combined on one guitar. That and the singing on top. Don’t know if I’ll ever get it polished.
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Thanks Roger @roger_holland I still have dreamer songs that I’ll never reach but one can dream.
Thanks Nicole @JokuMuu . I guess you mean the first “solo” being sweet; so kind. I’ve been waiting to see what the response might be before learning the rest of it but the live Alchemy version is twice as long as the studio and is all solo guitar to the end. Not too sure my brain can take it…but I guess I’m gonna have to give it a try now.
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I’m lacking the proper terminology 
Probably it’s that, yes. I love it. There you go… No backing off now anymore