I think this kind of thing is great. 

However, I have a slide slight grudge against that guy for telling people that Swallowtail Jig is in E-minor.  It's Dorian, and I wonder whether that's why it sounds bad when he plays it, ha ha.

Edit: in part B of STJ, he puts in a slide, seemingly from F to F# on the E-string, and that's what hurts my ear. htttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNbO8XbJ_Hw

Fiddlestix said
@RosinedUp: Every piece of sheet music I've found say's it's written in Em

I've never seen a piece of sheet music that "says" anything.  You would have to be able to read it.  Since you always say that you don't have time for sheet music, I'm not much inclined to explain it to you. On the other hand, whoever knows what Dorian mode is and can play the piece can detect that it is Dorian, with or without sheet music.

Not everyone means the same thing by "minor".  However, the piece is usually written with a key signature of D and ends on E, implying Dorian mode.  On the STJ party thread, I play it consistent with a key sig of G and end it on A, also implying Dorian mode.  It's easy enough to find web pages that state that the piece is in Dorian mode---by searching for "swallowtail jig" and "dorian".  Those making statements to the contrary probably couldn't explain what Dorian means.

Fiddlestix said
@RosinedUp: and what does STJ have to do with this thread ?

One might ask why, If STJ has nothing to do with the thread, you would choose to prolong the discussion.  Even though it might require more effort, maybe you should try for some positive instead of negative attention.  When you ask a question, it should be something that you want to know the answer to.

Picklefish said ......crap

Yes, I agree: you are confused.  You haven't availed yourself of what you would need to understand the question.  And it's too bad, since it's not much like rocket science.  OTOH you can get by without knowing it, so it might be best for you to ignore the question. 

I did find one part of your post, the Wiki link, to have some value.  Not that it's the best place to start studying modes, but the section on modern Dorian mode should lead to some understanding if studied earnestly.  But what would be a lot more useful that way would be a desire to understand.

It wasn't my intention to turn the thread into a discussion of modes.  I was trying to offer a data point about the guy who devises these violin stunts in the video.  He doesn't seem to understand modes, and he plays STJ out of scale.  But again I say that he's done a great job doing and teaching these very fun stunts.