I'm beginner to coin magic and I was wondering if the Muscle Pass is a really hard sleight.

If compared to card magic,is it like the move called the shift/pass that requires a huge amount of time to perfect it?

Essentially, yes.

You state that you are a beginner to coin magic. Once you have put dedicated practice into it, it gets easier and easier. Nothing is really easy when you begin. But as you keep up the effort, it will just become second nature to you.

Since you are a beginner to coin magic, make sure that you have a perfect classic palm. Then, and only then should you move on to the muscle pass.
It took me about a year and a half to get a really nice muscle pass. I had it flying out of my hand in a couple of months, but I had it looking magicial in maybe 8 or 9 months.

Then I had to work on aim, keeping my hand perfectly still, angles, and just because I wanted to, I practiced catching it at the finger tips like Mr. Kainoa Harbottle.

I started out by using my other hand to position the coin, later on I learned that a simple classic palm makes it much easier and faster to repeat.

It is definately worth the long time it took to master it. The reactions are priceless.

I thought it was a different position then the classic palm.....a bit higher....maybe that is what I have been doing wrong!

For me, it's the hardest. Have you ever seen it performed? The magician has a coin in his/her hand (palm up, and in view), and then the coin mysteriously jumps into the opposite hand that is about 9 inches above the hand that the coin was originally in. It's a trick within itself.

I've been doing various and sundry things with the M.P. for over 20 years.

The M.P. is a deceiving sleight. It seems simple but there is a lot to it to make it really deceptive everytime you do it. A simple example, many people when they do John's "Coin That Falls Up" move the lower hand up at the same time the coin jumps. You also see the hand contract. Both of these are very bad habits and weaken the illusion as well as suggest the method to the onlookers.

To release the coin exactly when you want it and with the force you desire is no easy thing. To just stand there and wait for the coin to jump up is entirely another. The problem is if you don't learn it with control from the start, you'll have a difficult time acquiring it later. And the muscles involved in the control are better developed by learning C.P. first.

I wrote up some of my tips in a set of lecture notes from about ten years back - "Sleightly Strange". It's a small write up but the tips are the sort of things you have to work out on your own once you've been given a little direction.

Hope that helps.

~ Dan Strange

An addendum to the last post. It's important to practice the M.P. correctly - practice makes permanent. It's often said theat practice makes perfect. But imperfect practice makes imperfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

~ Dan

Muscle pass is great. A friend of mine uses a little misdirection to cover the fact that he simply flicks the coin with his thumb. I've had other magicians be surprised that I do it without any "lift" or "assistance" to get it up. My biggest problem is not catching it. It goes straight up, but I miss it with my other hand, and it falls to the floor, which in my opinion, takes away from the effect. Someone recomended pretending to inflate a half, switch it for a puffy coin, and then muscle pass it, saying it's my helium coin. I found the puffy coin a little harder to muscle pass. And I agree, the position is a little different than classic palm.

Brian

I'm new to coin magic as well and the first sleight I heard about was the muscle pass. I've been practicing the muscle pass for like 2 years and just can't do it. It'll jump like 2 inches. Every now and again it will jump 7 inches or so.

So dynamiteassasin I would say the muscle pass is a hard sleight. I've heard that some people get it straight away so I guess it is worth trying, you might get it straight away.

For me getting it to jump was easy. I just haven't been able to increase the height, which to me is the hard part.

Hiro

Cool Magic...
You were right the first time. The muscle pass grip is not quite the same as the classic palm. This has been stated about 3 billion times, but Dan Watkins has a link on his website that does a great job teaching the muscle pass.

http://www.coinvanish.com

I was just playing with some dollar coins and tried a muscle pass and got the coin to travel about 3 inches something I've never managed before. I usually use British coins as I'm from the UK which are much smaller coins so whilst I'm no expert on this sleight I would say larger coins definately will make it easier to master.

warren

Train and learn with a heavier coin, even if you have to add some weight to one.

I find it is easier for someone to learn when they have a 1 to 1 instruction.

Try it sideways, and don't move your hand upwards(or sideways) as you do the move)

From one who has been using it visually and hidden since the mid 70's it really is worth the effort.

Besides Nigel(the Puppet that Rocks and Talks) it is one of the things that people remember about my nearly normal programs.

Hmm although Nigel does have a "working" hand, I have not tried to have "him" do the M.P. to someone in our close up program...

HMMM

Yes you can do the m.p. with gloves on.


Harris

It is an interesting technique. I've never seen it done though, while looking magical. There is always this very cramped look of the hand.
To me it has the same kind of value as a coinroll. A display of skill.

I agree with you. However it is possible to use it in a context and still look magical. You just have to study the move and understand visible actions involved. I've only seen a few people do it magically. I like to think my own routine is magical. Just ask anyone who has seen it.

~ Dan

Superhiro
Unlike other sleights the MP depends on having strong muscle in your hand. So you must develop these muscles, by practicing the MP like you lift weights. Do it until muscle fatigue sets in or you will not get the full benefit of your practice session.

Dan LeFay
I am no MP genius but it looks like magic when I perform it. I’m not saying it’s a brainteaser but it’s definitely a surprising moment.

Chris

Well like Mr. Cornelius says in one of his videos, the M.P is different for everyone. Some people can do it perfectly within one minute others it takes months even years. Others can do it but not perfectly enough. It's a cool thing to know, not many things I know of to do with it besides the obvious ones. It's easisest to start with a big coin then work your way to something smaller. I think it's one of those things you shouldn't worry about too much, one of those things you do while bored in school, or bored on a train or just while watching TV, eventually it'll strike.

Thanks Chris. I'll try that and see how I go.

Actually that's how I started, I just continuously did the MP until the day I thought maybe I was just damaging my hand. But now after doing the MP a lot my right hand feels ok. I just recently started practicing with my left hand so my left hand actually does hurt.

Hiro

In not looking magical I meant that there is always a telltale moment of technical execution which unfortunately synchronises with the moment of effect.

In my experience a layperson will not think: Hey, he did something but I don't know what, so it must be magic.
Instead he will think: Hey, I don't know what he did but he DID something so it is not magic.

I completely agree though that the MP can create a nice surprising moment. I sometimes end a coinroutine by shooting (MP'ing) the coins back into the purse. Not exactly a mystery, but a nice skillful touch after some memorable magic.

A friend of mine showed me a neat way of putting a coin in a coin purse, and dumping it back out of an empty hand. He Mp'ed the coin up, and it hit his palm and fell out of the frame. It looks amazing.

Brian

When I wear my wedding ring, one of the comments I get, is "must be magnets".

Anyone else get that response.

The M.P. first reference(at least to me) was Buckley's move as a Hidden Sleight.

I use it both ways.

If you catch the coin at the fingertips, it is said to look more magical.

Last night a host at a restauant, literally moved backwards after seeing a 1 coin routine including the muscle pass.(It was a "David Blaine, TV moment")

Try doing it sideways with two coins at the same time.

Or once you get it going up, try two or three half dollars(USA) size coins.

Enjoy the journey.


Harris Deutsch
Laughologist and "Palms of Aluminum Foil" Kind of Guy

This is exactly what I was referring to earlier when I referred to studying the move and understanding the visible actions involved.

~ Dan