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The Little Diamond polka

Also known as The Girl From Lettermore, The Littler Diamond, Magic Slipper, Mister Ed, Strathnairn.

There are 31 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Magic Slipper (lots of times) and Din Tarrant’s (a few times).

The Little Diamond has been added to 4 tune sets.

The Little Diamond has been added to 140 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Six settings

X: 1
T: The Little Diamond
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
B2 | A>B AF | DE FD | A>B AF | GF EF | DE FG | AB cd | ed ce | d2 :||!
e2 | f2 ge | fd cB | Ad cd | fe e2 | f2 ge | fd cB | Ag ec | d2 :||!
X: 2
T: The Little Diamond
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
| A>B AF | DF Ad | A2 AF | GF EF | D>E FG | AB cd | e>d ce | d2 d2 :||!
| f2 g>e | fd cB | Ad cd | fe e2 | f2 g>e | fd cB | ag ec | d2 d2:||!
X: 3
T: The Little Diamond
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
d>e dB | G>F GB | d>e d>B | cB A2 | GA Bc | de fg | ag fa | g2 g2 :|
|: g2g>a | bg c'a | bg fg | ba a2 | bg c'a | bg fe | dc' af | g2 g2 :||
|: g2 g>a | bg fa | bg fg | ba a2 | bg fa | bgfe | dg af |g2 g2 :||
X: 4
T: The Little Diamond
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A>B AF|DF Ad|A>B AF|GF EF/E/|DE FG|AB cd|e>d ce|1 d2 dB:|2 d2 de||
fd ge|fd cB|Ad cd|fe ed/e/|fd ge|fd cB|Ag ec|d2 d>e|
fa ge|fd cB|Ad cd|fe ed/e/|fd ge|fd cB|Ag ec|d2 dB||
X: 5
T: The Little Diamond
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|: B^A |A>B AF | DE FD | A>B AF | GF EF/E/ |
DE F/F/G | AB c/c/d | e/f/e/d/ ce | dA :|
|: de |f^e/f/ g=e | fd c>B | Ad cd | fe e^d/e/ |
fd g>e | fd c>B | Ag ec | d2- :|
X: 6
T: The Little Diamond
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
| A>B A>F | D>F A>d | A>B A>F | G>F EF/E/ |
D>E F>G | A>B c>d | e>d c>e | d2 d2 :||
|e| f>d g>e | f>d c>B | A>d c>d | f>e ed/e/ |
f>d g>e | f>d c>B | A>g e>c | d2 de:||
# Added by JACKB .

Four comments

The Magic Slipper

Some people call this the "Magic Slipper" which James Morrison & Tom Carmondy recorded as a set preceding "The Little Diamond". Since they just listed the Set as "The Magic Slipper" the title of the two polka’s are often confused.

There was a concertina album (I forget who or which one) where they listed this as the "Girl from Lettermore" so I listed that alternate title as well.

But you know what they say about polka titles ;-)…

T:Little Diamond, The
M:2/4
L:1/8
S:Hammy Hamilton - "The Moneymusk"
R:polka
Z:gm
K:Dmaj
| A>B AF | DF Ad | A2 AF | GF EF | D>E FG | AB cd | e>d ce | d2 d2 :||!
| f2 g>e | fd cB | Ad cd | fe e2 | f2 g>e | fd cB | ag ec | d2 d2:||!

The Magic Slipper / Little Diamond

When played on the fiddle I believe this tune is at its best in the key of G, so here is a G-major version:

T:Little Diamond
R:polka
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:G
d>e dB | G>F GB | d>e d>B | cB A2 | GA Bc | de fg | ag fa | g2 g2 :|
|: g2g>a | bg c’a | bg fg | ba a2 | bg c’a | bg fe | dc’ af | g2 g2 :||

The B-part involves some slightly tricky fingering and position shifting, so for those who would like to enjoy playing this polka until they’ve sorted out the aforesaid tricky bits, I offer this simpler version of the B-part:
|: g2 g>a | bg fa | bg fg | ba a2 | bg fa | bgfe | dg af |g2 g2 :||

As Henrik Norbeck got it:

X:76
T:Little Diamond, The
T:Girl from Lettermore, The
R:polka
H:On the Begley & Cooney recording it is called "The Magic Slipper",
H:which is actually the name of another polka which was recorded in the
H:same medley as this polka in 1936 by James Morrison and Tom Carmody.
D:Begley & Cooney: Meitheal
Z:id:hn-polka-76
M:2/4
L:1/8
K:D
A>B AF|DF Ad|A>B AF|GF EF/E/|DE FG|AB cd|e>d ce|1 d2 dB:|2 d2 de||
fd ge|fd cB|Ad cd|fe ed/e/|fd ge|fd cB|Ag ec|d2 d>e|
fa ge|fd cB|Ad cd|fe ed/e/|fd ge|fd cB|Ag ec|d2 dB||

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