question about F-minor scale

[chaotix]

So i'm doing a remix, i found out the scale of the song is F-minor. (I know nothing about music theory) So i look at what is the f-minor scale...and the natural scale i see is F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F

My question is this. usually there is 7 notes per scale. or i guess 8 if you count it going back to F.

I'm just confused about the flats. Ab and Bb are the same black key? same with Db and Eb because going backwards from B is a flat right? so i only have 5 keys to use in this scale? that can't be right...what am i missing here.

Sorry, i know this probably sounds really silly to everyone who knows even the slightest bit of theory.

This is how i drew the scale out in ableton live.

http://i44.tinypic.com/awc93p.png

All notes spanning outward are the F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F

The two little notes i put in there, the G# and C# those technically make up the scale when someone told me to work it out like this....W-H-W-W-H-W-W

Which makes more sense to me cause then there is 7 keys i can use in that scale. Can someone clear this up for me.

I'm obviously doing something wrong here.

[chaotix]

Oh also, the original song says its in F-minor...how do i know if that's natural, harmonic minor?

[AllNightDayDream]

You aren't doing anything wrong, you may be overthinking it and getting confused. All those notes make up the scale, including the ones you put in the initial chord (g# and c#), total of 7 different notes. Ab is not the same as Bb, nor is Db to Eb.

[chaotix]

Okay good, how would i build chords from this? someone told me in another forum you can skip one note over and that note will be the one you stack first. so i'd skip the g to a g# and F and G# would be my first chord. then just keep doing that?

[Killamike49]

Well that's a generic chord yeah (i think it's a major). Go to like Musicthoery.net or something if you're having troubles.

[4rantare]

I'm just confused about the flats. Ab and Bb are the same black key? same with Db and Eb because going backwards from B is a flat right? so i only have 5 keys to use in this scale?

I don't really get what your question is. But I'm just going to answer what I see as questions (you'll have to be more precise if you want other/more answers).

Ab and Bb are not the same black key. However, A# and Bb are the same black key.
A# is "one step higher(pitchwise)/up" from A
Ab is "one step lower(pitchwise)/down" one step down from A.

Generally:
"Letter" + b one semitone down from tone "Letter". Example: Gb is one semitone lower than G.
"Letter" + # one semitone up from tone "Letter". Example: C# is one semitone higher than C.

So if you have C major or A minor you have the tones/notes:
C, D, E, F, G, A, B or A, B, C, D, E, F, G which basically are the same scales. As you can see you have 7 different keys per major/minor scale.

[Puncture]

You might find this website helpful with scales and keys.

http://www.pianoworld.com/fun/vpc/piano_chords.htm

[e-motion]

To make chords, just make sure you use normal chords (like the ones you see on chord websites) where ALL the notes of the chord belong to the scale. A quick trick to make chords is to do this:

Your scale is: F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F

So to make a chord, choose the root note of the chord. In this example lets choose C:
- Play the root note.
- Play the 2nd note after the root (AKA the 3rd because the root is the 1st), in this case Eb.
- Play the 4th note after the root (AKA the 5th), in this case G (because it goes arround).

This is a cheap trick that'll give you all the basic major/minor chords you can use. From here, you can add the 7th (6th note after the root, in this case, Bb) and you get the 7th chord.

TL/DR: Just play the notes in your scale, starting on the root of the chord you want to play and skip a note between.

Note: This is a VERY cheap trick for people that don't know that much about music theory... like me

[joshisrad]

my god just fucking learn music theory

[mitchAUS]

The two little notes i put in there, the G# and C# those technically make up the scale when someone told me to work it out like this....W-H-W-W-H-W-W

Which makes more sense to me cause then there is 7 keys i can use in that scale. Can someone clear this up for me.

I'm obviously doing something wrong here.

G# is Ab and C# is Db... To flatten a note you lower the pitch by a semitone (half step if your american) To sharpen a note you raise the note by a semitone (half step). Forget about sharps for this scale.

What you have there is a natural minor scale. Harmonic you raise the 7th so the Eb can be raised to E.
Follow the chord advice given by e-motion, if you can't work the rest out by ear your going to need some basic theory.

[Immerse]

my god just fucking learn music theory

is that not what he is trying to do here? nice post chief

[drake89]

Ah well as far as melodic and harmonic scales go, they make the minor scale (or mode) sound more resolved. The melodic is used for ascending the scale and the 6 and 7 scale degrees (d and e) are raised another semitone. The harmonic is for descending and the....well it's early and you should look it up cause my brain shat out.

[joshisrad]

my god just fucking learn music theory

is that not what he is trying to do here? nice post chief

Get real.