NEW podcast Series – Thoughts on Erdnase

Check THIS out:

This is my very first podcast. I recorded this with my good friends Alex Slemmer and Steve Johnson. We did it at Steve’s store, my favorite magic shop on the west coast – Grand Illusions. If you’re ever up in the Sacramento area, make sure to stop by and say hello.

If you’re in the area, make sure to come to my lecture at Grand Illusions on March 19 – I’ll be  signing copies of my new DVD, Search & Destroy featuring The Nowhere Pass.

After you listen to the podcast, post a comment with your thoughts! I’d love to read them.

Secret Weapon & Search and Destroy DVD ask your questions here!

Click here to watch the new trailer for The Secret Weapon.

I launched the new Aaronfishermagic site this morning, and the response was positive. So positive, in fact that happy card men (like YOU!) overloaded the server this afternoon. For a little while, the new videos weren’t playing and pages weren’t loading. Thankfully, all that’s over now.

The cause of all the ruckus was the unveiling of trailers for my two new products. Both of these babies will be released on March 17th, but today, you got the first peak.

Click here to watch the preview for Search and Destroy featuring The Nowhere Pass

What do YOU think? Drop a comment or question here.

After you watch the trailers, drop me a comment to let me know what you think. This is also a good place to ask questions about the product. Then check back on this post over the coming days and read the answers.

Thanks again for your visit, and for making the launch of the new aaronfishermagic.com such a success!

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How Not to do the Classic Pass #3: Don’t frame up

Assuming you intend to do a classic pass as a sleight, not as a color change, visual vanish or appearance, you’ll want to avoid this common error.

What’s wrong with this picture? We’ve all done it, trying to master the ‘fast’, invisible pass that so many card men seek. This is the ‘frame up’ – and whether or not you think it makes your pass look better, it almost certainly makes it feel worse. It doesn’t matter what you say, do, or where you attempt to focus the attention of your audience. If your hands are tensed and ‘framed up’ this way, your audience will focus on the source of all that tension – your hands. Remember, if you want to do a natural, unsuspicious pass – stay loose!

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How NOT to do the Classic Pass #2: Don’t flash your break.

 

 

When Vernon said the shift must be accomplished at the very moment your hands come together at the pack, he meant it.

Many shift workers spend countless hours working on a pass which might be called invisible, and next to no time working on ways to ensure the success of their labor in actual performance.

Check out the photos – if your set out for the pass looks this way, you don’t stand a chance. The moment the audience can see a line or a break, if they even know there are two packets in play, you’ve lost all hope of making the shift without suspicion.

Does your pass make use of an ultra clean break? Let me know. We’d all love to know your thoughts, so tell us!

 

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How NOT to do the Classic Pass #1: Don’t pull with your left fingers!

Many card workers seem to think the secret of the classic pass is to use the left fingers to pull the upper half around the lower as quickly as possible. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even if you manage to help the appearance of the shift from the perspective of a spectator watching from directly above, pulling with the left fingers guarantees a flash on your right side. That’s right folks! If you want to eliminate visible finger movement from the shift, you have to stop moving your fingers! Crazy, huh?

Remember to use your left fingers as little as possible. These digits will always want to move, but your shift will succeed only to the extent you can keep this impulse under control!

 

Your Turn

Do you pull with your left fingers when you do the pass? Tell us where you learned this habit, and what you’ve noticed it’s effects are on the shift and the way you use it – and don’t worry, with a little practice, you can unlearn any habit you choose!

 

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Welcome to Card Magic

If you’ve recently decided to get serious about close-up card magic, here’s a tip that may make you a little angry. You’ll thank me one day.

Don’t Practice with a close-up pad!

 

photo by Jason Dean

 

When my teachers first gave me this advice, I was about 18 years old. At the time, I loved my close-up pad and carried it everywhere. I broke it out all the time –either to do a few tricks or just to practice.  Not only did it make my magic look more “professional”, it made a lot of handling, like shuffling the cards, much easier to perform.

I trusted my teachers, generally speaking, but even so, I put up a fight. After all, if I was faced with a glass table, I could barely even pick up the deck. It took me a few months to finally get the point.

 

Real sleight of hand under any conditions

One of the most seductive aspects card magic is the promise of real miracles, done any time, anywhere and with any deck of cards.  It only took a year or so (maybe two) to learn how to handle cards effectively on a hard service.

Since that time I sometimes use a close-up pad in performance, but I never have to fear performing because I don’t have a close-up pad and can’t work without one. It’s a feeling of comfort you’ll always appreciate.

The campers at Sorcerer’s Safari learn these important lessons much younger than I did. It’s an awesome thing to see. One morning last August, just a few days into camp, I opened my cabin door one morning to find a gift from one of

Technorati Tags: close-up magic,close-up pad,card magic,sleight of hand

the campers – a photo of the gift appears at the top of this post.

I was so proud I nearly cried.

Watch The Gravity Half Pass Video!

In the 6 years since the publication of the Gravity Half Pass in The Paper Engine, many workers have added the sleight to their repertoires. Further, I’ve met guys who said their own ability with the move improved greatly after watching me do the sleight in person.

After all, when you’re in the midst of serious sleight of hand study, and can be very helpful to actually see the move in action.

If you have The Paper Engine, these short clips will help you practice. With a little patience, you can achieve similar results. This sleight can be immediate, soft and all but angle proof. It looks like real magic.

Now check it out from the front!

Now that you’ve had a chance to see the move, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Does this demonstration give you a feel for how the move should really look? Drop a comment and let me know!

With Thanks,

Aaron

P.S. If you want to find out what more readers have to say about The Paper Engine, click to read the comments here.

Strike Change: This will Help you Palm Cards

As many of you know, the One-on-One section of Theory11.com site offers inexpensive downloads from myself, Lee Asher and other talented magicians. I recently released my Strike Change, which originally appeared in my FISM 2003 booklet. There are many visual pieces of magic in that volume. If you haven’t seen it yet, I suggest you take a look. If you like the Strike Change, the magic in the FISM notes will make you VERY happy. End Plug.

Even if you don’t have the Strike Change download, you will find this post helpful. Click the Strike Change link, and then find Strike Change on the One on One menu. Watch it to see what we’re talking about, then join the conversation!

On Palming Cards: Do you have ‘windows’ ?

I received an email today from someone working on the Strike Change. He’s experiencing a common problem – when he holds his fingers together, small gaps remains between them. Here’s what I wrote to him.

Regarding the spaces between your fingers, it sounds like you have ‘windows’. The good news is this is a common problem. It can almost always be solved. It just takes time – and a little effort.

The question is this:

Can you hold your fingers together in a way that shuts the windows?

You may find that you CAN get rid of the windows, but it causes tension, or pain, to do so. That’s great news – it means you’ll ultimately be able to palm cards beautifully and invisibly.

You indicated in your email that the windows only appear when you relax your grip. That means you CAN hold your fingers together – just not in a way you’re comfortable with. That means you just need practice. Just stick with it. Eventually, you’ll be able to hold your your fingers together without strain.

Serious tip: Consider getting a hand exercise squeeze toy.When your hands are stronger, you won’t need to relax your grip to eliminate tension. Get something like this.

What if I STILL can’t close the windows?

You may be in the small group of card men that truly can’t shut their windows. Have no fear. You’ll still be able to palm cards deceptively. The audience will never STARE at your hands, ideally, when cards are palmed. They won’t be thinking about windows. Neither should you.

Back in the days of magic stores, magicians often discovered the concept of ‘psychological invisibility’ in much the same way. The young magician buys a thumb tip. He goes home, practices for a few minutes, and sees that it his new trick will NEVER be successful. He goes back to the store and complains. The wise demo man behind the counter offers to show the young magician another trick. He makes a silk disappear. He shows his hands unmistakably empty. The kid freaks out. He begs to know the secret. The demo man slowly moves to his hand, which has never left view, and removes his thumb tip. The youngster sees the light.

Sometimes we need invisible means. But many times, we use methods that are psychologically invisible. One of the great card men of the last century, Max Malini, was known to have hands so small he could only conceal half a card. But his reputation for palming was unmatched in all the world.

You have the advantage

If you have small hands or unusually thin fingers, or even rough or indelicate looking hands, they work in your favor. No one will ever suspect hands like that of concealing cards. Malini was a great palmer, but why do we consider him the best? Because his hands were so small. His spectators never suspected him.

With regard to color changes like the Strike Change or the side-steal, your windows will not stop you. If you palm the cards naturally and comfortable at your side, the spectator will only focus on the hand only as it comes over the deck to deposit it’s card on the face. The the audience, the card will seem to change before you spread your fingers. Why fight it? To the spectator, the windows make the change look better!

Your Turn

If you’re working on the Strike Change, or any of my other One on One downloads, I want you to succeed. If you have any questions, make them as specific as you can, and send them to me. I’ll answer them in a further blog post!

Technorati Tags: palm,palm cards,palming cards,one on one,theory 11,strike change,aaron fisher,close up magic,close-up magic,max malini,fism 2003

Bill Goodwin Speaks – Three Classic Magic Books

Less than a week ago, many of you sent questions  for Billy Goodwin, the Magic Castle librarian and one of the finest card men in the world. I promised I would get him to answer one of the questions. Here it is………..

From Dave Atkins

To Mr. Goodwin I would ask: as the librarian of the Magic Castle, if some magician was going to make the library disappear, which three books would you try to save before he did it?

I love this question. We decided, for the sake of this discussion, to assume that the Magic Castle library is the ONLY library in the world. We’re not concerned with a given book’s value on Ebay. We only care about the value of the information inside.

Three books blessed by bill…

Here are Billy’s choices in no particular order. He wanted me to stress that this was a very unfair question. Bill is a librarian. He wants to save ALL the books.

Here they are:

• Expert Card Technique – Hugard and Braue’s classic text was the second book on card magic  I ever purchased. I still haven’t learned everything in it – frankly, no one has. This book, available in Dover paperback, may provide you more value for the money than any other card book ever written.
• The Complete Walton Volumes 1 & 2 – Already Billy is cheating here. He found a way to save an extra book. What can you do? Roy Walton is one of the kindest men I’ve ever met.  You’ll go back to this book  constantly over years and it will always offer you something new and give you wood for your practice oven.  It also may be the greatest repository of material regarding cover passes and half passes ever created. If you’re interested in material on these two topics, the Complete Walton should be your first stop.
• The Complete Works of Alex Elmsley Volumes 1 & 2- Like the last entry, this two volume set compiles the complete works (or close-enough) of one of the great sleight-of-hand minds of all time. If you’re only familiar with Alex Elmsley as the creator of the most used and abused false count in the history of magic, you definitely need to acquire these books. They contain tricks of every size, shape and style – a veritable wealth of information.  Again, this is a book that all serious magic students must read.

The first in a series…

Any time Billy talks about magic he says something worth hearing. I’ll be going back to the original post to pick new questions for Billy to answer when I see him. If you want to add a question to the list, go for it. Here’s a link to the post – go leave a comment. 

If you want to see Billy Goodwin exposed at my place, click here.

 

Technorati Tags: Bill Goodwin,card magic,sleight of hand,elmsley,walton,expert card technique,cover pass,half pass

Aaron Fisher on Tension in Card Magic: an excerpt from The Paper Engine

This is the new edition of The Paper Engine. Scroll down for an excerpt from the book….enjoy!

                                                        

The paper is still perfect.

The photos are still crisp.

The price is now better than ever.

The Paper engine.

Now available for the first time in Paperback.

Join the Revolution

click here.

 

 Please Note: This excerpt appears in the book just after the description of the Gravity Half Pass. This is NOT the full description of the Gravity Half Pass – to  fully understand the technique you’ll need the full description. As you read this article think about how the ideas in it relate to your sleight of hand on the whole – not just the perfect half pass.

If The Paper Engine has had any effect on the amount of tension in your card work, post a comment below and tell us about it.

 

Thoughts and Commentary: The Gravity Half Pass

Tension can be the Achilles heel of any advanced card-worker. Any time a muscle contracts, there is at least a small degree of tension and this can be detected by audiences, if only subconsciously. Most advanced card techniques are highly susceptible to tension. A friend once quipped that he could tell whether a certain card expert was dealing tops, seconds, or bottoms by the number of veins throbbing in his forehead. While this was a mild exaggeration, it was not unfounded. It does not matter that the worker in question has visually deceptive techniques; audiences can feel the tension and instinctively sense trickery. One way to alleviate tension in the performance of sleight-of-hand is through design.

 

The best way to remove muscle tension is to eliminate the muscle’s participation in the action — find another way to get the job done. For example, assume you are standing on the roof of a building, holding a set of keys. If your goal is to loan the keys to your friend on the sidewalk below, you can either carry them down or drop them to him. It is more efficient to drop an object than to carry it. Several items in this book (including the half pass) allow gravity to manipulate the cards, keeping the manipulation on the performer’s part to a minimum.

 

As the sleight commences and the cards begin to revolve, the only pressure exerted is that necessary to modulate the action. One doesn’t want to lose control, or go too fast, or not stop at the right time. Pressure is only exerted to focus the moving energy — energy initiated by gravity. This is similar to the steering technique my driving instructor called controlled slippage. Turning the wheel while going into a turn can require difficult, hand-over-hand action. Muscles pull, readjust, and then pull again. Coming out of a turn, however, is far easier. One no longer has to pull, but only allow the wheel to adjust.

 

Humans should not trifle with the forces of nature. As Spalding Gray quoted Athol Fugard in Swimming to Cambodia, The sea’s a lovely lady when you play in her, but, if you play with her, she’s a bitch.” keep this in mind if you choose to invoke natural forces, such as gravity in your technique, great care should be taken in the initiation of the reversal (the left-hand action). In a standard handling, with the left fingers reversing the cards, pressure can be added or released as needed. In this method there is only one chance to release your control over the packet and then only one chance to re-establish it.

 

The gravity half pass should never be rushed. If the sleight is hurried, the pack tends to overshot the right palm entirely. This sort of thing is to be avoided, so take care. Gravity is your friend, but it can also kill.

 

Those interested in further study of the half pass should know that perhaps the greatest exponent of half-pass applications is Scotland’s famed card expert, Roy Walton. His routines with both the standard half pass and his spread half pass are vital explorations into the subject. Careful study of his work is mandatory for any serious student of card magic.

 

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