Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The ‘happiest’ sounding of the modes, the Ionian is identical to the major scale, so it’s highly likely you’re already playing it ...

Play these notes starting on C and you're playing the C major scale (also known as the Ionian mode – the 'first' mode). Start on D and you're playing the second mode (D Dorian, as it happens). By the ...