The Diplodocus jig

… as far as I know is a Liz Carrol tune. I like it very much. The GGG GBd variation of bar # 3 in part C should be used not too often in my opinion.

In bar two, the B following the D is a minor third below (within the staff); in bar six, the two A’s following the E are a fourth above (within the staff)… abc text is technically correct, and can be remedied in bar two with a capital B; and in bar six with lower case "a" followed by a comma. A lovely tune indeed.

I played this tune at a rather strict Irish trad session, knowing it would probably be a solo effort (it was). The session leader commented that it sounded totally Scottish. I wouldn’t know, myself, I just like the tune. For me, it makes a nice big finale for a long jig set: Tobins, Tar Road to Sligo, Cliffs of Moher, then Diplodocus.

That’s funny, if you played this at our local "rather strict Irish trad" session, they’d all be playing along with you, since it’s an old favorite for this area.

I like this tune, it’s fun for at home. I’d call it Amix rather than Dmaj though. Same key signature, but tonal centre at A rather than D.

Yes, Liz Carroll wrote this.

For a really odd accompaniment idea, you could play in the C-part either the usual A-G-D-G or you could do something like A-C-Bm-C… It’s weird, but works.

This tune, with its funny endings and "xyy" pattern (one note followed by twice the same note) is redolent of Cathal McConnell’s Scotland-Ireland: https://thesession.org/tunes/4307 , I find.

is not to be confused with Ronald Koh’s own creation; The Diplodocus! http://www.origami-resource-center.com/origami-dinosaurs.html

Unlike traditional Irish music, traditional origami has no use for ‘cuts’: here’s a not so traditional model with a cut in it; judge for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgcVO9MQmpA

play video

…was a genus of diplodocide sauropodian dinosaurs that roamed the Kimeridgian and Titonian plains of the late Jurassic period (150-147 million years ago) in what is now North America.

I learnt this jig from the "Coleraine’s set" recorded by Drantan, the band of the late Darach De Brun, heard on Myspace* today (2013, november the 2nd)
I did not find it anywhere else (neither tunepal nor the abc search in the tune finder here).
It is the second tune in the set preceded by The Coleraine (https://thesession.org/tunes/17) and followed by Joe Derrane’s (https://thesession.org/tunes/3321)
*https://myspace.com/drantan/music/song/the-coleraine-set-54880285-59435772

https://thesession.org/tunes/620
Your version of the tune has fewer mistakes in the ABCs than the first posting of the tune.

I must have been very tired when, checking "The diplodocus" after it was identified by tunepal.org with 87% of liability, not to find it similar with the tune I was trying to identify. My apologizes…

Thanks to Jeremy for having merged my setting posted erroneously in a different new post with the original present one

Liz spoke at a seminar/class on tune composition at O’Flaherty’s Irish Music Retreat in 2012. She urged people who might be composing tunes not to rush the process. She said she wrote the first two parts of The Diplodoccus in a trice, but realized they weren’t complete. They cried for another part. She put them aside and some EIGHT years later the third part came into her head. And here we are….. Great lady has given us a great tune. Hope I have quoted her accurately.

As part of learning tunes I often end up writing them out.

This seems nice clean version - Button Accordion @0:57
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLN2x3Cu7xI

play video

Transcribed (more or less) from Liz Carroll playing with John Doyle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_PONayspuA

play video

Another fabulous version of this tune (corresponding reasonably with this transcription) here
second tune in the Blazin fiddles Diplodocus set
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=genTa3fZcrA

play video

Is it "Diplod - OH - cus" or "Dip - PLOD - ocus". I always said 2nd option as a kid but which is correct?

Susan K said: "Is it "Diplod - OH - cus" or "Dip - PLOD - ocus". I always said 2nd option as a kid but which is correct?"

DIP - lo - DOH - cuss

Both are acceptable

My take.

I just got back from a fiddle workshop with Liz and she stands by her pronunciation: DIP-lo-DOC-us. She said she named the tune before she learned the way that paleontologists pronounce the word. That’s Liz.

Liz Carroll is very talented.

Anyone know the story behind the name of this tune? Is it as simple as diplodocus being Liz’s favourite type of dinosaur, or is there more to it?

The tune was completed during her son Patrick’s "dinosaur loving phase".

Thank you Nigel.

Wow! What an amazing tune! I just now heard Rachel Davis play it as the second jig in her set “The First Bar.” A real driving jig, for sure!

Wow…playing this tune is a blast! I can’t get it out of my head.
I need to start listening to more of Liz Carroll..if there’s more of this where it came from I want it!