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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 28 recordings of a tune by this name.

A tune by this name has been recorded together with The Magic Slipper (lots of times), The Rambling Sailor (a few times), Mrs. Crowley’s (a few times), Din Tarrant’s (a few times) and The Maids Of Ardagh (a few times).

The Little Diamond has been added to 19 tune sets.

The Little Diamond has been added to 181 tunebooks.

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Nine 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 A2F2|D2E2 F2G2|A>B A2F2|G2F2 E2F2|
D>E F2G2|A2B2 c2d2|e>d c2e2|1 d2A2 G2E2:|2 d4 d2e2 ||
f2d2 g>e|f2d2 c2B2|A2d2 c2d2|f2d2 e2de|
f2d2 g>e|f2d2 c2B2|A2g2 e2c2|1 d4 d2e2 :|2 d2ed c2B2 ||
X: 7
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 .
X: 8
T: The Little Diamond
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A>B AF|DF AF|A>B AF|GF E2|
DE FG|AB cd|e>d ce|1 dA BG:|2 d2 d>e ||
fd e/d/e/g/|fd cB|Ad cd|fe e>g|
fd e/d/e/g/|fd cB|Ag ec|1 d2 d>e :|2 d2 d2 ||
# Added by DomW .
X: 9
T: The Little Diamond
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
A>B AF|DE FG|A>B AF|GF E2|
DEFG|ABcd|ed ce|[1d2d2:|[2d2d>e||
|:fd ge|fd cB|Ad cd/e/|fee2|
fd ge|fe dc|Ag ec|[1d2dd/e/:|[2d2d2||

Nine 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||

Is this polka already listed in the Session?

If this is already listed I apologize, and I’d love to learn it’s name and history. I’ve known this tune for so long, that I really don’t remember where I got it, but it’s one of my all time favorites.

Re: Little Diamond

Got the name now 🙂 What a great tune.

Gan Ainm

Was popular at London sessions a few years ago, but never knew the name, or been able to find it on thesession

Re: The Little Diamond

Learned this lovely little tune at the Lake school of Celtic music here in Australia just a few months ago. The version we were taught has a couple of different notes, but overall the same. We added some lovely harmonies to it too. Thinking of putting it together with Ballydesmond and Britches full of stitches with my Celtic group at school.

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