We all play in modes, do to do is a major mode of the grand scale. La to La is of less importance, so it's a minor mode of the grand scale.

Modes pre-date tempered tuning. The greeks gave each mode a name:

Ionian do to do
Dorian re to re
Phrygian mi to mi
Lydian fa to fa
Myxolidian sol to sol
Locian mi to mi

Miles Maxwell, in another post, offers a mnemonic to memorize this...I Don't Play Like My Aunt Liberace.

I learned:

In Dr Peppers Laboratory Many Are Lost

Ionian is the major scale,

Lydian is the regular minor scale (we do other things to minor, but they involve accidentals, sharps and flats not in the grand scale.)

Dorian sounds Hungarian.

Myxolydian sounds scottish or bluegrass or southern rock.

What do you think the others sound like?

You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash

It's only music.
-niteshift

Mike Dunbar Music