|
|
Yehuda Elite user 413 Posts |
I wasn't sure where to post this...
Who coined the term "off-beat" in regards to magic and misdirection? Yehuda |
JoeHohman Special user Erie 706 Posts |
Off-beat can have several meanings. It could mean an off-beat, unusual trick that one doesn't often see: "Watch as I now try to glean the identity of your card by forming a picture with these grains of beach sand...."
Off-beat can also refer to timing -- for example, you might palm a card off the deck while a spectator is engaged in turning over a card on the table. (They probably won't be able to detect you palming when their attention is drawn to the table.) |
Yehuda Elite user 413 Posts |
That's true, Joe. I thought I made it clear which one I was referring to when I said "in regards to magic and misdirection."
So does anyone know who popularized this term? Yehuda |
Mary Mowder Inner circle Sacramento / Elk Grove, CA 3659 Posts |
If you were to imagine your performance on a slow metronome it might be:
Introduce cards TICK, shuffle Cards TICK, offer Cards for choice TICK, return Card to deck TICK, Shuffle TICK, find card is not in deck TICK, find card in Pocket TICK. You want to make sure that Pal**** the Card does not fall on a TICK in the timing leaving a gap in the perceived rhythm for the spectator but pointing to the moment when the sleight probably took place. Ideally, you would do a "move" at a time when the Spectator doesn't feel like you are "on the clock" like if you've said something funny and during the laugh or when the Spectator feels the trick is already over because you are looking relaxed after the first effect in routine with a kicker. Misdirection should play into working in the offbeat but it is not the same thing. I'm sure others could explain this better but this might get the refinement process started. -Mary Mowder |
jim ferguson Veteran user Ayrshire, Scotland 386 Posts |
Quote:
On Mar 6, 2018, JoeHohman wrote: That isn't palming on the off beat, that's palming when audience attention is elsewhere, ie misdirection. Besides, the op isn't asking for an example (it seems he already knows what it means), he is looking for the origins of the term as applied to doing a sleight. Jim |
Yehuda Elite user 413 Posts |
Yes, that is correct, Jim. While this is a wonderful discussion, no one is responding to what I asked, which is fine if you do not have an answer. But if they want to start another conversation they should post a new topic...
Yehuda |
davidpaul$ Inner circle Georgetown, South Carolina 3086 Posts |
Offbeat was originally a music term which meant, not following the standard beat.
There was no "one" person who coined the phrase regarding magic/misdirection. Just makes sense to the origin of it. There ya go.
Guilt will betray you before technique betrays you!
|
Rupert Pupkin Inner circle 1452 Posts |
I’d hazard a guess that the traditional music definition dates back to the rise of jazz, maybe in the oughts or ‘20s. While we probably won’t know who coined the term from a magic-choreography perspective, Ask Alexander dates its use back to at least 1942 (in an issue of the Phoenix). There’s an earlier instance in a Sid Lorraine file write-up, but it’s not dated.
https://askalexander.org/search/%22the+o......ate_asc/ |
Yehuda Elite user 413 Posts |
Thanks Rupert. That's the kind of thing I wanted to hear.
Yehuda |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The workers » » The "off-beat" (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.01 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |