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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.

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

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.

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?

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.

chaotix wrote: 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.

You might find this website helpful with scales and keys.

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

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

my god just fucking learn music theory

chaotix wrote: 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.

joshisrad wrote:my god just fucking learn music theory

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

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.

Immerse wrote:

joshisrad wrote:my god just fucking learn music theory

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

Get real.