Article: How To Learn Chords & Scales FAST

Jun 14, 2024Guitar Tuition

How To Learn Chords & Scales FAST

Learn how chords and scales are created and how the are inextricably linked.

Create your own songs.

Do not make the mistake of ignoring this basic and totally essential guitar theory that will save you years of heart ache should you make the effort to learn it.

My guitar theory videos have been so well received - please read the comments and you will see they are definitely worth watching.

Most of all - I hope they help!

Written by Richard Cholerton

For me - there is no difference between "personal" and "business" life - It is all "my life". Interconnected and therefore highly personal. Every guitar I sell (EVERY) is one I can tell you the backstory - about the people who make them - the ethos of the brand and how they align with my own - they are a genuine personal recommendations based on 28 years in the industry.

With the industry dominated by marketing, hype, and "blinkered" brand loyalty - retailers focus on what they get asked for - with little effort in raising awareness of guitars that are better than the one you asked about. This leads to a lot of poor buying decisions!

Here is a quick introduction to the brands I often refer to as "my babies" but really you could simply refer to them as "benchmarks". Check the prices - check the specs - check the quality and back story - and find me a brand that does it better - or even close. The fact is you cant buy a bad guitar from Richards Guitars - you will only find the best - set up to your personal requirements.

My "Personal Collection"

Detail - Clarity-Power-Resonance-Beauty

Furch Changed Everything...

I introduced Furch to to the UK over 20 years ago - with my good friend Keith Twine who has since retired.

At the time I was a leading supplier of brands such as Gibson, Martin & Taylor. Experiencing Furch guitars made me realize there is what you "know" and what you "should know". Just because you DON'T - doesn't mean it doesn't exist!

What does all this mean? Forget what you think you know and open your mind to the possibility that you can find better - and we will guarantee you an experience you will never forget - with help from Furch and my other personal finds from over the decades.

Buy Furch Guitars Online

Inspirational quality, tone & feel at a price you never thought would be possible.

A Benchmark British Brand

With an incredible Back story - A Truly Brtiish yet global brand utilising the shared skills of the Gordon Smith Team in England and a small boutique workshop in China - The result? Unbelievable quality that far surpasses that of recognised mass produced brands at the same price.

Buy Auden Guitars Online

Hand Made - Standard Setting - Affordable

We Were The First UK Dealer for Eastman Guitars...

....and continue to be their largest and most experienced dealer in the UK supplying Eastman guitars throughout Europe.

Originally known for their extraordinary quality, hand made arch tops - produced by violin makers - as their reputation spread they developed into the World of electric and acoustic guitar production which continue to be made by hand.

Eastman have now become a hugely dominant force in the Guitar World producing the "best in class" in any guitar genre they opt to focus on.

Nobody knows them better or can provide you a better experience.

Whether you decide on the showroom experience or buying online you could not be in safer hands.

Buy Eastman Guitars Online

Quality - Versatility - Innovation

Canadas Finest

I have specialised in Godin guitars since 1995.

Godin have been solving problems for performing acoustic and electric guitar players for over 30 years, producing the most divine instruments which are stylish, of the highest quality whilst serving the practical needs of the modern performing professional

You could say Godin is the antithesis to Gibson! Godins reputation is built largely on the word of mouth of professionals and session musicians who need their instruments to be highly reliable and consistent night after night.

Get one in your hands, and you will soon understand their unique contribution to the evolution of the guitar.

Buy Godin Guitars Online

Perfection

Hand Made In Italy

I have to thank Stuart - Director of UK Distributor Selectron for thinking of me when he made a very special find in the guise of Luigi - A man building what can only be described as playable works of art. An extraordinary man - extraordinary guitars and I can only thank Luigi & Stuart for thinking of me as a perfect fit to help represent Luigis work in the UK.

Buy Valenti Guitars Online

Hand Made In Ukraine

Valiant Guitars

Breathtaking guitars made by men who continue their passion literally in a war zone.

The human story is inspiring but no less than the impeccable, meticulous qualitywith an enormous dash of the secret ingredient so many guitars can never find - MOJO!

View Our Valiant Guitars

The most comprehensive collection of affordable electric guitars money can buy.

We will help you find The best playing - Affordable electric guitar

I have been promoting Vintage brand guitars since the day they were "born" some 20+ years ago! In this time they have just got better... and better... and better! Not just that but the range has just become EPIC. Something for everyone!!

In the past couple of years ProShop has become one of the mmost exciting UK hand built guitars- using the Vintage range as the building blocks to create wonderful and exciting guitars that would normally cost thousands of pounds.

Buy Vintage Brand Guitars Online

Hand Made Ultimate Luxury Leather Guitar Straps

You will see so many marketing stories and false claims of hand made guitar straps in the UK - often with a massive premium price tag added.

TRUST ME - THESE ARE...

The finest hand made leather guitar straps money can buy

Hand made in Walsall using traditional tooling methods by own of the UKs greatest horse sadlers.

Memory foam insert ensures premium comfort - These straps will last you a lifetime.

Learn More

Interest free credit agreements provided by Zopa Bank Limited trading as DivideBuy that are 12 months or less in duration are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service. Zopa Bank Limited trading as DivideBuy is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, and entered on the Financial Services Register (800542). Zopa Bank Limited (10627575) is incorporated in England & Wales and has its registered office at: 1st Floor, Cottons Centre, Tooley Street, London, SE1 2QG. VAT Number 281765280. DivideBuy's trading address is First Floor, Brunswick Court, Brunswick Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 1HH. © Zopa Bank Limited 2024. All rights reserved.

Dowina Tribute to Walnut GAC

I ordered this guitar from Richard's with the options to select my own wood and have custom inlays. They put me directly in touch with the wonderful folks at Dowina who were absolutely amazing and made the whole process very straightforward, sending me high resolution photos to help me make my selection. My custom inlay design was bought to life perfectly, and when the whole guitar was complete, it was sent back to Richards, who installed a pickup for me and set up the action just how I like it.
This is the first time I have ever ordered a bespoke guitar, but it wont be the last, and Richard's is where I will be coming next time around!

Thankyou to everyone at bot Richard's Guitars and Dowina for bringing to life what can only be described as a dream instrument.
I just cant stop playing it!!

Great service

If your looking for your "special guitar", this is a great place to go. Good advice and you are given time to find what you are looking for.

Eastman E1D classic finish.

I never write reviews but this guitar is so good I feel like I should. The guitar sounds amazing and looks good to . The set up was perfect easy to play but more importantly no buzzes on any note. I hate pic guards on guitars so I peeled mine off and was delighted to see no marks on the finish

Furch Yellow OM-SR+LR Baggs Anthem

I have been thinking of buying a smaller bodied acoustic guitar for a while now. Having a Gibson J45 I started looking at Martins , Taylor, etc. They were all great but they were expensive, well the best ones were!!
Then I stumbled upon Furch guitars at Richard’s Guitars and started to do some research and they kept coming up trumps against the big American Brands. Pound for pound you were getting a quality guitar for a lot less outlay. I then made enquiries about some models and ended up with Furch’s Yellow Series OM-SR and elected to have an LR Baggs Anthem fitted. Anyway, it turned up a week ago and I’m only just leaving a review as any spare time I have I’m playing it.
It’s amazing 🤩. Great tone, easy to play due to the setup from the guys at Richard’s. The workmanship is flawless and it just feels like a quality instrument. There wasn’t a single mark, finger prints or any other blemishes so it was really packed carefully with the end user in mind when opening up the case to see it for the first time. It was sent Via DX by which once on its way on the day of delivery you could follow the van all the way to your door online.
It did take 2 weeks to come even though in stock but to be fair I was aware of that so had to be patient. I’ve bought guitars online before which turned up next day but they weren’t setup so they had to go away for that to be done.
Plenty of emails to keep you posted on where the guitar was in the queue and a phone call on the day of shipping to confirm my address.
I hope one day to make a visit from Suffolk to Richard’s Guitar Shop to purchase another!! Thanks to everyone there.
Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very nice I'm in love !

Very good store ! I've received my guitar yesterday, and everything is working well, very nice quality, I love it !

Furch Violet Deluxe Gc ER, a Duo of Bevels and Rosewood Back & Sides

I wanted to get my son, Griff a special acoustic guitar for his 18th birthday. We had tried some nice Martin’s, Faith’s and Taylor’s locally in Cardiff however I had read some great reviews about Furch and thought we should try them.
With no local dealers stocking them, I found Richard’s Guitars online and through their website also became curious about Dowina, Auden and Eastman acoustic guitars.
We decided to have a daytrip to Stratford Upon Avon and had a 2 hour session exploring their wonderful range of superb guitars.
A special thank you to Jake who was very well informed and unobtrusively on hand for advice to help us make a decision.
Griff liked the tone of the Furch Violet Gc ER with its solid rosewood back and sides but he also liked the shape of its mahogany back and sided stablemate, the Furch Deluxe Gc EM with its duo of bevels.
Jake told us that Richard’s Guitars had ordered 4 custom built Furch Deluxe Gc models with spruce tops, rosewood back and sides and the bevel duo (not on Furch’s website but in effect Deluxe Gc ER). They contacted Furch to ask if one could be expedited from the factory in the Czech Republic in time for Griff’s birthday. It arrived at Stratford well ahead of the big day. Richard’s luthier Chris fitted an LR Baggs Anthem pick up and had it delivered to us in a beautiful Vintage Deluxe Tweed hard case as part of the deal.
The guitar looks and sounds absolutely stunning! The grain on the rosewood is gorgeous and to have solid rosewood back and sides with double bevels from the well known american companies would be over twice the price!
What an amazing relationship Richard’s have with Furch and what a fantastic experience we have had with Richard’s Guitars.
Thank you once again
Dan, Cardiff

Fantastic archtop, great communication and service

A wonderful archtop acoustic from Eastman, 16 inch bout and basically a more affordable Gibson L5. Fantastic service from Richard and the team, great communication throughout, and the guitar arrived in absolutely perfect condition and plays wonderfully. Its getting a daily workout of Eddie Lang!

Eastman T386 (After 1 year, and having bought more from Richards Guitars)

I was anew customer when I purchased my Eastman T386 just over a year ago, and was very pleased with thre service and expertise of the staff, as well as the wonderful experience I had choosing the guitar oin their showroom. I went on to buy another guitar (this time a Fretless Bass, by Cort) which was a "Pre-Loved" instrument. Again the experience was very good, and the setup was excellent. Having recently had mny free 1 year setup up, I can again say that thee service offered at Richards Guitars is second to none. They are accommodating when it comes to organising things to suit you, and the setup itself ranks as the best I have ever had.

Incredible guitar

Handmade with precision and attention to detail by Eastman. Set up to perfection by the Richards Guitar team.

A modern boutique re-imagining of the classic single-cut mahogany bodied guitar of the '50s.

Beautiful clear, articulate, and dynamic tones. My Eastman SB59 is my main guitar, used for writing, recording, out on the road, and peaceful moments of home playing.

Bought on trust ... and they delivered.

I purchased my Furch, sight unseen and unplayed. I explained to Jake my style of music, how I played and the sound I was looking for. Originally I thought a Dowina was for me but after a few online chats, watching a few online videos etc., I was persuaded that I should go for Furch Blue Gc-CM Master's choice with the CNR active neck model instead. I am extremely pleased with the service I received, the advice given and the updates on ordering, arrival and delivery. All spot on. I was in no great hurry to get it but it was good to be kept informed.

How To Learn Chords & Scales FAST

Let customers speak for us