***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.)
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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