An essay on the Classic Pass

***Note***

Im reposting this because I dont know how to move it from card magic to General discussion. Feel free to delete the other one moderators.



CPME:An in-depth look at the classic pass, as performed by a certain unknownmagician(93)




So, I’ve noticed that it is a regular occurrence that threads pop up concerning the “Classic Pass”. All ranges of topic are discussed, ranging from best place to learn, to how to speed it up, to how to reduce finger flash, etc. I am in no way a guru on this move, and my 1 and a half year experience with the move puts me in no place to do what I’m about to do.

What am I going to do you ask? I’m going to post what is essentially an essay on what I’ve learned about this move through the year and a half I’ve worked on it. This will just be my mega rant on my method for the pass, and what I think of the various different nuances that make the pass such an intriguing move.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDN8fYQxCsY


So, I guess I’m going to break this down into sections. I’ll just take it step by step. This isn’t intended to be a tutorial, just… What goes on in my whacked out brain pertaining to the Classic Pass.



This essay is written for right handed people. I trust that all of you lefties are intelligent enough to flip the directions to suit yourselves.



Grip




Thumb

This is probably one of the most hotly debated topics about the classic pass. Erdnase was the first to stress that the thumb should rest along the side of the deck as the move is executed. Vernon advocated this handling even further, stressing the fact that the thumb at the said was especially useful for those with smaller than average hands. Lang Neil was the first to advocate that the index finger stay curled along the side of the top packet as the move is executed. Krenzel said F the pass, it’s for retards. I say…

I’ve spent insane amounts of time on both the Erdnase/Vernon handling, and with what is essentially Lang Neil’s method (out of these two handlings has sprung my “own” method, but then again, that’s what this essay is about isn’t it?). The reason Vernon advocated the thumb staying at the side is that the thumb was there the majority of the time when handling a deck of cards, so it looked more “uniform”, at least in the eyes of a spectator. While I do find this to be relatively true, I consider it nit picking. If a spectator was to ever call you out on your thumb moving as you square up the cards, they are

1- Insane
Or
2- They know a bit more about card magic then the normal spectator.

What I’m saying essentially is, the “uniformity” of a stationary thumb isn’t worth the loss of control that comes with the thumb not being over top of the deck as the move is executed. I tend to do the pass with lots of speed, and I prefer speed over “smoothness”, at least with this particular move. Yes, I have tried to be “smooth wit it”, but my pass just doesn’t look right when I slow it down. So I don’t.


Index Finger

Besides the thumb, the index finger is probably the second most debated issue pertaining to the classic pass and the grip. I myself have gotten into some pretty heated debates over this. Lang Neil was the first to stress that the index finger should stay curled in along the right side of the deck, next to the middle, ring and pinky fingers during the move. In my handling, the index finger stays curled, but it is curled around the right edge of the front of the deck. (watch my video for a complete understanding of what I am referring to).

Most people will tell you it doesn’t matter if your index finger sticks out straight as the pass is executed. I would like to tell all of those people to go die in a hole.

Just kidding.

But in all seriousness, I am a strong advocate of keeping the index finger firmly curled in and in contact with the top packet throughout the move, and even after it is executed.

(If you’re confused about what I’m saying, refer back to my video and watch how my index finger stays curled onto the top packet as the move begins, is executed, and even after it ends)

My reason for this… Is somewhat unclear to be honest. Seeing people’s index finger stick out like that when they do the move just irks me for some reason. Besides that fact that it just looks awkward, it is an enormous tell. So unless you regularly stick your index finger out while handling a deck of cards, don’t stick it out for the classic pass.

(ha ha ha yes that whole paragraph can be made totally inappropriate by replacing “index finger” with “it”. All you dirty minded men will get my reference. Maybe some women as well.)

Pinky Finger

I just figured I’d add this in for the sake of completion. When I execute the classic pass, my pinky finger is inserted into the break up to the first joint under my nail.

(When talking about joints things can get kinda confusing. So for clarity’s sake, hold up your pinky, look at your nail. The first joint directly underneath the nail on your pinky finger is the one that is in contact with the top and bottom packets inside the break right before I execute the classic pass.)
 
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Executing the Move


This topic is kinda broad, so I will try to cover everything that goes on with my hands as I execute the move.


Movement

This is yet another hotly contested issue regarding the pass. Thos of you who know of Jonathan Kam most likely know that is pass is pretty darn sexy. But, you will also notice that he “rocks” his hands when he does the move. What I mean by this is he lifts up slightly and tilts his hands toward his body, then brings them down sharply as the move is executed. I am in no way attempting to degrade Jonathan’s pass, as it looks fantastic, better than mine if you ask me, but, I am against any movement of the hands as the move is executed.

Erdnase said:

“The conjurer employs the shift in 9/10ths of his tricks…. Under his environment it is comparatively easy to perform… A half turn of the body, a slight swing of the hands, or the use of patter until a favorable moment occurs, enables him to cover the action perfectly.”

Erdnase stressed that his intention was to beat the cut, without getting caught, while seated at a table. So he needed a method that didn’t need a swing or turn. If he was able to over come this obstacle, there is no reason we shouldn’t be able to do the same 108 years later. If you watch my pass, the only movement you will see is my left wrist/hand “Snap” or flash when I execute the move. I could easily cover this minor flash with a rock of the hands, or a turn of the body, but that sort of exaggerated movement is more of a tell than a miniscule flash of the left hand in an off beat moment.

To sum this section up, the minor advantages gained through moving the hands aren’t worth the somewhat obvious tell that is associated with such a movement.



Which hand does the work?

Erdnase made further strides in developing the “perfect” classic pass when he stressed that the “normal” way of doing the pass in 1902 (which was to have the right fingers lift up on the bottom packet to facilitate the move) was unfit for the card table, and for use of the pass in general.

I, once again, am in a firm stance with my boy Erdy on this one (big surprise). Having the right, or upper hand, do some of the work during the pass might make the move easier, but it will lead to excessive flashes, tells and tension (which will be discussed later).

Vernon said:


“In any pass or shift the essential purpose is to cause the two packets to transpose in the least possible space, with the minimum of movement, with the maximum of cover.”

Using the right hand to facilitate the pass violates these three essential principles:

1- By pulling up with the right fingers, the top packet (carried by the left hand), will be allowed to slip an excessive distance below the top packet.


2- By pulling up with the right fingers, extra movement is created, as well as extra tension. These two unwanted aspects can lead to excessive flashing, as well as tells that the move is occurring.

3- By pulling up with the right fingers, cover is decreased because the right fingers move upward to facilitate the action, and thus the fingers aren’t able to cover the action of the top packet being brought to the bottom by the left hand.

A video explains these three points a bit more in depth:




[video=youtube;rZ4QnCvc2K0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ4QnCvc2K0[/video]



Essentially, all movement of the right fingers, as well as the hands/body in general, should be done away with when executing the pass. I would concede that it is easier for a beginner to learn the move if they are to use the right hand, or if they are to turn their body as they execute the move, but according to Einstein “it takes one 11 times as long to relearn something correctly than it does to learn it correctly the first time.”


Tension

One of the hardest things to accomplish when executing a pass is to alleviate all tension from the hands. I like to think that I am well on my way in this area, but there is still some obvious tension in my left hand.

As we have already discussed, tension can be eliminated entirely from the right hand if the right hand is allowed to remain motionless as the move occurs. What I mean by this is, the right hand is to be used as nothing more than stability for the deck as the move is executed, and as cover for the left hand to do the work. Following these two steps will remove all the tension from the right hand, because it’s very hard to create tension when nothing is occurring. ;)

Eliminating tension from the left hand isn’t so simple. One of the things I’ve found that helps greatly is to have the left thumb do nothing but “rest” on top of the deck. What I mean by this is, use the thumb only for stability. Have the other four fingers do the work.

This my sound difficult at first, but my reasoning behind this method is this:

Since the deck is resting in the left hand, and the right fingers are extended over top of the deck, the only fingers of the left hand that are visible are a part of the left index finger, and the left thumb. Since this is the case, it only makes sense to divert all of the tension to the part of the hand that isn’t visible. Since the four fingers of the left hand are adequately covered, having them do the work doesn’t necessarily eliminate tension, it just disguises it.

Totally eliminating tension from the hands will take an insane amount of time, and I think that doing the pass as described above sufficiently covers the tension, so that unless you have a death grip on the deck, there won’t be much visible tension when executing the move.

“Work smarter not harder.”


Aesthetics


This is just a minor note, but I riffle after I execute the pass, just because it’s a habit and I think it looks nice. Also, I just can’t seem to get my “classic pass” to the right speed or the right look without that little riffle at the end. This topic is pretty much up to the individuals discretion.



Misdirection




Here we have our last major topic regarding the classic pass. Misdirection is something I strongly advocate, and I feel it should be applied with every move. With that said, the classic pass is arguably the one move that should always be done with misdirection (at least when the move is done as a control).

The reason for this is, why work more than you have to? If you could do magic with a blindfolded spectator, and still get insane reactions, why wouldn’t you? Misdirection is essentially that blindfold. There is no easier pass, than a pass done when no one is looking. You could pretty much lift up one packet and put it underneath the other when you have sufficient misdirection. Don’t do more work than you have to.

With this said, I do not want to degrade the effectiveness of the pass. My opinion in this area is:

Be able to be burned, but don’t be burned unless you have to.

What I mean is this:

You want to have your pass (and all of your sleights) to a level where a spectator could glue their eyes to your hands, and you could in turn make their eyes pop out with insane magic. They shouldn’t be able to see anything no matter how much they watch you, but they shouldn’t always be watching you. Use misdirection. Make them look away, or divert their attention. Use everything you have to keep them from burning you. But if that doesn’t work, and they still burn you, then be ready to burn them right back.

Resources



This is just a little space where I intend to show my gratitude to those select few that have helped me in countless ways on my journey to mastering the pass, which I have yet to fully accomplish.

Erndase- “The Expert at the Card Table”

Dai Vernon- “The Dai Vernon Book of Magic
“Revelation”

Aaron Fisher- “Classic Pass Podcast”, which can be found on his excellent blog, by following this link:


http://blog.aaronfishermagic.com/?p=235





Yay!!!! You finally made it!
I want to thank you for taking the time to read this post about the classic pass and how I accomplish it. I hope that you were able to gain some insight into one of the most intriguing and enduring moves in all of card magic, even if it was only a tiny bit of insight. If not, oh well, I hope you enjoyed reading it nonetheless. :)

I can’t rightfully leave you with a “description” of the classic pass without saying what is probably the most true statement of this entire post:

Only through practice will you be able to reap sufficient rewards from this move, and develop your pass to a level that you deem acceptable or sufficient. You can read my points, as well as everyone else’s all day every day, but if you don’t spend a sufficient amount of time practicing this move, and getting to know it inside and out, you will never improve. YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES AND YOU WILL BE FRUSTRATED. I know I was on many occasions. You just have to keep working at it, and have fun while you’re doing it!


Enjoy your journey my friends! :) :)
 
Nov 13, 2010
11
0
28
Glendora, CA
Well even if you're not a guru on the move, this was extremely informative. Thanks a ton! Hmm... not lifting with the right hand. I've learned to use the right hand. But at the same time, it might be why I give a small flash everytime. I'll have to try that. Again, thanks a ton for this.
 
Z

Zach Lambert

Guest
Why are you writing about this when you cannot execute this that great and then publish that stuff? You are not "executing the move".. You are exposing it.. As about 15 frames per second. I imagine this looks horrible in person! You have all of the knowledge there, but no wisdom.. Spend the time executing it to perfection.
 
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^^^ I humbly submit that I am in no way the best at this move, but I have spent time with it and I do think I have some valid information to share regarding the move, even if my personal execution isn't flawless.
 
Z

Zach Lambert

Guest
Yes, thank you for the reply. I respect that. But would you mind editing your initial post,

"What am I going to do you ask? I’m going to post what is essentially an essay on what I’ve learned about this move through the year and a half I’ve worked on it. This will just be my mega rant on my method for the pass, and what I think of the various different nuances that make the pass such an intriguing move.

If one intends to discuss a move, it’s probably best that that person prove they can actually do that move. Here is my “proof”:"


When you say that you can do the pass and this "proves" it.
 
I would just like to say something also... My mentor made me grab my pack of cards and add 13 card from a different deck each week until I had a deck of 104 cards. Although this took a while (not to mention some hand pains and cramps) I'm glad he told me to follow this. I can now successfully execute the pass well enough that 98% of laymen won't notice and it only took me one month. Am I the best at it... No. Am I good enough to fool a layman... Yup!
 
Jul 8, 2008
144
1
35
Tintagel
What other sources have you used to develop your classic pass?

You noted Aaron Fisher but I hope you realise that he condones the emphasis pulling of the left fingers.

Also I see tension in your left arm muscles, your left thumb has a weird twitch and you left elbow juts outward, do you perform this for people? (hope that helps as I see in your essay you want to eliminate tension)

I have a request, repost your pass video but with the cards perpendicular to the ground and then pm me.
 
Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
37
Belgrade, Serbia
And try not to make that riffling sound. You are talking about tells, but that is the biggest one of all. Even if they don't see anything, if you missdirect them, they will hear something. Do you actually riffle the cards when you square them up?
 
zach- post has been edited.

Others-

Thank you for the input. Ive changed the video i had posted to one that is less... revealing if you will.

I will take into account all of your points. Thank you for reading.
 
Z

Zach Lambert

Guest
And try not to make that riffling sound. You are talking about tells, but that is the biggest one of all. Even if they don't see anything, if you missdirect them, they will hear something. Do you actually riffle the cards when you square them up?

I think you are incorrect when stating this. If you have a burnable pass, riffling is the best cover for the most part. I wouldn't over do it. If you have a horrible pass, then you do it while nobody is looking.......and if your pass is that bad, just cut the cards.
 
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Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
37
Belgrade, Serbia
I think you are incorrect when stating this. If you have a burnable pass, riffling is the best cover for the most part. I wouldn't over do it. If you have a horrible pass, then you do it while nobody is looking.......and if your pass is that bad, just cut the cards.

And I think you are incorect when stating that. I think riffle is the most unnatural cover for the pass. And it adds one thing that good pass shouldn't have, and that is sound. I have been doing riffle pass for 5 years now, and it is only good if you do the pass as a color change, when riffle is added as a "magical moment" in the effect. If you want your pass to be without any noise and invisible at the same time, without any added tension to the hands, that other type of cover is a lot better than the riffle.
 
Z

Zach Lambert

Guest
And I think you are incorect when stating that. I think riffle is the most unnatural cover for the pass. And it adds one thing that good pass shouldn't have, and that is sound. I have been doing riffle pass for 5 years now, and it is only good if you do the pass as a color change, when riffle is added as a "magical moment" in the effect. If you want your pass to be without any noise and invisible at the same time, without any added tension to the hands, that other type of cover is a lot better than the riffle.
That is a very interesting point of view. Thank you for sharing.
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
Here's is a question. Why focus on the pass? What exactly is the purpose of using it for? To Impress people on the internet? To Impress the older guys at the magic club?
 
Aug 27, 2008
283
0
Tijuana bC
Here's is a question. Why focus on the pass? What exactly is the purpose of using it for? To Impress people on the internet? To Impress the older guys at the magic club?

what? the pass is probably one of the greatest utility moves you can have in your arsenal... there are so many things you can do controlling a card to the top, without the layman noticing it... so many things. great investment of time.
 
Jan 12, 2010
64
0
I honestly think that the 'Classic Pass' is outdated. We live in a modern society, one in which tomatoes and cucumbers are called vegetables rather than fruits. Why would we be so fascinated with something called the 'Classic Pass' and its classic handlings?

Over time, the spectator's way of looking at magic has changed and still is changing every day. Laymen are getting much more into burning the magician's hands compared to in the past in which they had a much more panoramic view towards our art. In parlor magic you would be still safe, but in close-up magic I would beg to differ. Of course it also depends on the culture you are living and performing in. I noticed that Western-Europe has shifted the most already, second comes the US, and Eastern-Europe and the rest of the world slowly follows now too.

Also the magician's way of performing magic is changing in a similar way. The 'Classic Pass' was never meant nor constructed to be an in-your-face and show-off kind of sleight, yet that is what it became. That is also how the 'Charlier Pass' became a 'One-Handed Cut' and a flourish instead of staying the secret sleight it once was. Not to forget that cardistry is bigger than ever before, and fast fingers are a whole lot faster now too. There is a lot more magic involved when doing something slowly than to give the spectators a feeling that you just have very fast fingers and confirming that by doing a 'Classic Pass' the classic way.

Due to the shifts of both the spectators' ways of looking towards the art and the magicians' ways of performing magic, the classic methods for the pass shouldn't be done in their original ways anymore. Definitely not in close-up magic, if it was up to me to say. Not only is it a waste of time to practice it for 10 years straight to finally have the 'Classic Pass' you always wanted, but a modern pass (using the same basics as the 'Classic Pass' but adjusting it to hand burning and in-your-face magic) is easier, less suspicious, more visual once done face-up, and just as solid. This also makes it less of a show-off move and saves the art of magic a little.

If you can wait a month or two for my re-release on this, or hook up with me on any instant messenger or on Tinychat, I can talk in a more detailed and exposed way about this. Personally, I would consider this thread to be exposure.
 
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Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
what? the pass is probably one of the greatest utility moves you can have in your arsenal... there are so many things you can do controlling a card to the top, without the layman noticing it... so many things. great investment of time.

Why would you want to move 26 cards just for one card? You could the exact same thing with a Cull or a Side Steal and it is has more cover, and also looks less like you did something (if you're decent at it.)
 
Jan 12, 2010
64
0
Why would you want to move 26 cards just for one card? You could the exact same thing with a Cull or a Side Steal and it is has more cover, and also looks less like you did something (if you're decent at it.)
I disagree. A 'Pass' has a lot of options a 'Cull' and 'Side Steal' don't have and vice versa. It's not just a single card control, it's also a false cut, it also retains the deck in full order, you can control as many cards as you like to wherever you want, and if done correctly it doesn't look like anything occured at all.
 
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