I have managed to get the basic mechanics down, but there is still the scraping of the top packet on the bottom side of the cover card. Aside from more practice, has anyone else overcome this problem? It is already pretty slow so I would hate to slow it down further.

Thanks for any insights.

Yoann from France just released his technique for this move. It’s $5 in his Patreon account

Frank Deville shows and talks about the cover pass in his fantastic penguin magic lecture.

As you pointed out, it is a slower pass than most. I don't see how you can be creating that much noise. Are you being overly concerned because you are doing it in a quiet room, where any noise is amplified? Normal conversation and "background noise" will likely cover the scraping noise.

Tortuga, that is a very valid point. I could be very self-conscious and therefore expect myself to mess it up. I will keep that in mind as I keep practicing.

I know it is easier said than done, especially nowadays in the current situation we're in, but what might help you is to get together with an experienced magician that can help give you feedback. That is something that helped me immeasurably, decades ago. Like I said, it isn't always easy to find someone, but they are out there.

Or you could simply add a dribble to the Top Card Cover Pass, which makes things look quite fair while masking any tell tale sounds that might occur. You might also consider doing said pass with the pack face up as a control to second from the bottom (After a spectator peeks at a card that you glimpse).

To each his or her own, but the Top Card Cover Pass, should look like nothing happened. Once you introduce a riffle or a dribble, you might as well do a different pass.

I see no reason why those should be mutually exclusive concepts. A TCCP can look like nothing (significant) happened even though the performer gave the deck a gentle riffle, dribble, or squaring action. I've been doing the move for 30 years with a gentle riffle and when I do it well (which is usually, but perhaps not always), I think it's as deceptive as any pass I've encountered.

Jason

Jason, any hints on making the TCCP silent as stated in the original posting? Since you are here and I learned it from your video I thought you might have an additional pointer.

TeddyBoy,

Happy to give any advice I can, but you'll need to specify which part of your TCCP is making noise.

Without that, I can only give broad advice:

1. Skin on cards usually makes less noise than cards on cards. Try inserting more of your little finger into the break?
2. A TCCP doesn't have to be performed at a constant speed - you can move slower in the initial phase and then speed up once packets are largely clear of one another. This may help reduce noise, especially if it's happening in that initial movement of the upper packet to the right.
3. If you learned from my video, you know that I use a R to L pressure from my right forefinger to keep the top card in place. That sideways pressure actually makes the top card lift up at the long right edge (under your right hand). If you increase that pressure, you can cause the top card to almost wrap downwards along the left long side of the deck and that will increase the size of the "gap" at the right side. That increase might mean less rubbing of card on card and therefore less sound.
4. A TCCP doesn't have to be truly motionless (although that's a nice goal to strive for). Much more important is that any residual motion is attributed to something natural and not something suspicious. A gentle riffle or squaring action can be easily justified. Likewise, a TCCP doesn't have to be completely silent (although that is also a nice goal to strive for). Just make sure any residual sound is attributed to something natural, like that soft riffling action, or the final squaring of the deck.

Hope this is helpful.

Jason

Thank you for responding Jason. I'm pretty sure the top packet scrapes on the bottom of the TC when I start to pull it down. But I will stick with it. I've planned to re-watch your video for the 4th time and will focus on what you point out here. Thanks again.

My Top Card Ribbon Spread pass has been shown on Facebook several times. Watch it....and you be the judge. It doesn't emit any noise. That's because the sound of the ribbon spread cover it.