Windows between your fingers

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
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Windows between your fingers

Postby Guest » September 13th, 2001, 2:02 am

Hi all. I was just wondering how many of you feel you have windows between your fingers. I think that I do, although I've been told mine aren't bad. I catch myself flashing hidden coins in finger palm, but if I try to hold my fingers any tighter it looks unnatural. I can't always keep my hands in motion to hide things. Short of not using finger palms, does anyone have any suggestions? What do you do?

Thanks,

-- Frank

Bill Duncan
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Bill Duncan » September 13th, 2001, 2:29 am

Frank,
Some things you can do (aside from putting on weight ;) )

  • Spend a significant amount of your development time on routining events so that the audience has something more important and interesting to look at than your hands (or at least the one with the coin). Max Malini had very small hands but managed to palm playing cards to good effect even though the cards were bigger than his palm.

  • Use the classic palm or thumb palm rather than finger palm.

Simon Aronson
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Simon Aronson » September 13th, 2001, 12:27 pm

Frank
I remember asking Ed Marlo about "windows" between the fingers, and he gave me an unusual suggestion that he had used. Ed told me to wear a rubber band around my fingers, while practicing. The purpose was not so much for the band to physically pull your fingers together, but rather to be a conscious reminder, calling your constant mental attention to the gaps during your practice. I found this helpful.

Jon Racherbaumer
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Jon Racherbaumer » September 13th, 2001, 1:35 pm

Because Marlo broke one of his fingers playing baseball, it created a large "window" between his third and fourth fingers. I once told him that his "window" needed "curtains," big time. Simon's tip (from Marlo) is great. Marlo also wore his large ring to "shade" his "window." Check out the many photographs of Marlo's hands.

Carl Mercurio
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Carl Mercurio » September 13th, 2001, 5:23 pm

Frank,

When I palm a card in classic palm I have terrible windows. However, if I bend my first finger and touch it to the tip of my thumb, i.e., making the O.K. sign, the windows disappear. The hand actually looks quite natural in this position. Keep trying different rest positions when palming coins and cards and you make develop some solutions of your own.

Pete McCabe
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Pete McCabe » September 13th, 2001, 7:38 pm

If I hold my hand up in front of my computer screen, I can see the light of the screen through fairly large windows between fingers 1-2 and 3-4.

But if I curl my fingers they disappear. So that's one tip: don't leave your fingers extended straight out with an object palmed in them.

I also note that if I rotate my hand slightly, so that my first finger is closer to my face than my pinky is, the windows also disappear. So that's another: try to structure your routines so that the backs of your hands are not perpendicular to the audience's line of sight.

But really, the most important thing here -- as in all of magic, I believe -- is to give the audience something much more interesting to look at and think about than the back of your hand.


Pete

Guest

Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Guest » September 15th, 2001, 12:29 am

Thanks for all the good tips everyone!

-- Frank

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Richard Kaufman » September 15th, 2001, 9:55 pm

Frank,
I have a small hand, about the same size as Vernon's (which shocked the hell out me when I first met him).
One of the benefits of middle-age spread is that I've lost my windows!
Here's a tip that no one has mentioned, and it is something I used for years. Don't know quite how to describe it: if I could post a digital photo. Anyway, here it is.
Hold your hand out straight in front of you, palm down. Now curl your fingers very slightly. You might be palming a card at this point.
Slightly (VERY slightly) elevate your first finger and drop your pinky. Your second finger also elevates just a bit less than the first, and your third finger drops a bit less than your pinky. The flesh on the sides of the fingers now overlaps just a hair, but it's enough to close any windows. Now you must learn to hold your hand naturally in this position, and your windows will forever vanish.
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Brad A._dup1
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Brad A._dup1 » September 16th, 2001, 2:24 am

Richard,
I just tried that. It worked great! I find the best way to get rid of windows is to not palm cards ;)

-Brad
Former Vonnegut Character

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Richard Kaufman » September 16th, 2001, 8:19 pm

Brad, you better have learned a palm by the time I see you in November or you're going to have a BIG problem!!! :mad:
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Brad A._dup1
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Brad A._dup1 » September 16th, 2001, 9:36 pm

By that time I'll have my doors, windows, and false bottoms all closed!

:)
-Brad
Former Vonnegut Character

Guest

Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Guest » September 16th, 2001, 10:24 pm

Thanks; that position does help some. Now if I could only put weight on my fingers without adding it to my stomach ;).

-- Frank

Guest

Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Guest » September 17th, 2001, 3:16 am

If you really want to patch up the holes you may want to consider collagen injections in your windows :D

windows?

peas,
j.H.

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Cugel
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Cugel » September 17th, 2001, 4:46 am

I use the same positioning of the hand mentioned by Richard - I have a huge gap between the index and middle fingers.

In a sense, this is a variation on Le Paul's advice (or was it Marlo's?) regarding "breaking the palm". That is, when you have a card palmed and the same hand is gripping the deck from above, curl the index finger. It looks great.

Andrew

Guest

Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Guest » September 21st, 2001, 3:18 pm

Might I suggest the use of Windex for your windows, that is what I use and it works great.

Actually, I too sufer from windows and it sucks!!! I find that if I close my fingers tight they close up, but it feels unnatual. However it still looks quite natural so try it.

Spydur

Chris Bailey
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Re: Windows between your fingers

Postby Chris Bailey » September 22nd, 2001, 4:16 am

Richard's advice for hiding windows is GREAT. I have windows as well and his suggestion works like a charm. Thanks!


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