Younger of the famaous duo The Ali Brothers, Salamat Ali Khan received his initial training from his father Vilayat Ali Khan and after his early demise from his uncle Niaz Hussain Shami. Government of Pakistan recognising their contribution to classical music conferred the civilian award of "Pride of Performance" upon them and in 1967 King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan awarded them with the "Tamgha-e-Hunar". International acclaim for the duo followed in 1969 when they were formally invited to tour the United Kingdom and Holland. Following their performance at the Edinburgh Festival, the brothers became renowned in the West as the "Ali brothers" and began to regularly feature in International music festivals.

Although he was never a gandaband shagird of them, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan was always upfront to cite other musicians from whom he had received training, in the age-old ways of 'sikhiya', 'dikhiya' and 'parikhiya', these were his uncle Ustad Niaz Hussain Shami, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan, Ustad Tawakkal Hussain Khan, his father in law Baba Natthu Khan, Pandit Pran Nath, Ustad Habib Khan Beenkaar and the father of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan Qawwal.