Pretty, ain't it?! And yes, it is as hard as it looks. Well, it's hard if you want to do it the way it SHOULD be performed, not so hard if you want it to look terrible -- which I presume is what people want it to look like, seeing as every video on YouTube of this change is fucking appalling.
Even the videos posted up where people say it is "cool" and "smooth", they really aren't. You can see that the person in the video has practised it for quite some time, and they must presume that after a certain amount of practise, everything must look brilliant.
The videos on YouTube, or even just the videos I've seen, are not smooth. There is too much emphasis on the twirl, too much wrist action with the spin which builds up too the actual change not looking as good as it can be.
And don't give me that crap about "variations" and "improvements". Variations from kids on YouTube on published effects are only filmed because they cannot be bothered to learn the actual trick and will take shortcuts to come out with something that looks vaguely similar to the actual effect, only less practise, so that they can look cool in front of their internet buddies. TiVo 2.0 springs immediately to mind.
So, being the kind Mr. Internet Man that I am (poet), I will bless the interweb communities with some tips on the Jones Change that I have found through my Jones Adventure. I am not doing this for you though, I am doing it for me so I don't have to sit through anymore cringe-worthy Jones Change videos.
Tip - The Twirl:
A common pitfall is the speed of the twirl. People will either do it too fast, or too slow. A crazed out idea that I thought might work is to try and copy the speed at which Dave teaches it in the video? This is probably the prettiest part and I might even say one of the hardest parts of the change, The Twirl.
Another idea is to bend the card concavely whilst doing the twirl. That is, bend the card in towards the palm of your hand. This gives the twirl a more streamlined look and will only add to the smooth appearance.
The last tip I can give on the twirl is the movements you are doing with your wrist. After the initial 360 degree twirl, your palm should be facing the ceiling. Immediately start turning your palm back down toward the floor whilst completing the last 180 degree twirl in the opposite direction. Once you have completed the twirl, your palm and the back of the card should be parallel with the floor. All in the same rhythm, turn you palm back up toward the ceiling. The card is stationary in your hand, but your actual wrist is moving, giving the appearance the card is still moving.
You should be in the position of displaying the card to the spectators at this point.
Tip - The Change part_1:
In the video, as you display the card to the spectators it is suggested that you clip the bottom corners of the card between the middle fingertip and the base of the thumb. I have found that this makes my hand look tensed up and is slightly more uncomfortable than clamping the card between the middle finger and the pad at the base of the index finger. This means a more open display of the card, without the tensing up.
The card should be displayed at a 45 degree angle. This makes for a longer and wider spin of the card when you are getting it into Tenkai.
When you are displaying the double, press your thumb into the back, at the bottom, in the centre. This will bend the card outwards, which will help a lot later on when you are trying to get the card into Tenkai.
Another thing, the spin of the card as it pivots between your thumb and index finger should be done as slowly as possible. It is a beautiful moment, that’s two cards spinning there, in perfect harmony. SELL that moment, because that sure as hell looks like only one card to me.
Tip - The Change part_2:
There's not much to say here really as the video goes over everything perfectly. One thing I will say, though, as you are displaying the changed card, the card in Tenkai should be hidden behind the back of the hand and should bend around behind the index finger. This means that you don't have to clamp all your fingers together, almost screaming at the audience that you have a card hidden somewhere in your hand. Open those fingers baby, let them see all they want to see!!
Thoughts
I can't think of much more to say on the change. The above tips are things I have found independently and work for me, but might not for you. I urge you all to give them a try though; it can't hurt trying out a few bits of advice.
I will post a video up soon on the Jones Change, so you can see them happening and not just imagine them.
For now, though, I will leave you with the epitome of crap Jones Change videos.
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