Popcorn Family

Popcorn is a series of similar passing pattern that are called that way, because the objects "pop" up alternatingly on one passer then the other.

This happens either by a combination of triple-single selfs (lid off) or heff,heff (lid on). In any pattern either triple,single (5,3) or heff,heff (4,4) can interchangeably be thrown. Throwing two heffs is probably easier for most people.

The patterns with heffs are closely related to the why not patterns. The occurance of two heffs in a row (88) allow substituting with triple-self,self (96).

Classic Popcorns

These are all 7-club patterns.

• 6-count popcorn (double passes, half syncronous) <4 4 4p 3 3 3><3 3 3 4 4 4p>

A 2|2 and B 1|2: see Pattern Start Notation ;

A and B start at the same time. A starts with the right hand, B starts with a self from the left hand.

A 2|2 4p 3 3 3 4 4
B 1|2 3  4 4 3 3 3

in words: (explanation: dpass=double pass, heff, self)

A 2|2 dpass, self, self, self,  heff, heff
B 1|2 self,  heff, heff, dpass, self, self 

• 6-count popcorn with single passes: <4 4 4 3p 3 3><3p 3 3 4 4 4>
• 5-count popcorn (async) 78686 7a666
• 5-count popcorn (half-sync, double/single pass mix) A:3p,3,3,4,4; B:4,4,4p,3,3
• 7-count popcorn (async) 7868686

Much less well known and maybe not a popcorn anymore:

• 4-count popcorn (half sync): <4 4p 3 3><3 3 4 4p>

The "2 count popcorn" would be the 7 club 2-count

• 8-count popcorn (double passes, half syncronous) <4 4 4 4p 3 3 3 3><3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4p>

Extended Popcorn Family

I am not too sure at the moment what should count as the "extended popcorn family". There are many patterns that share some similarity. We will focus on the patterns asynchronous patterns with "44" for now and start by looking at the 5-count popcorn. It has the siteswap 78686.

We can now keep adding (or removing) "86" or "77" to the pattern and receive a number of patterns with similar properties - and probably similar difficulty. French 3-count is probably harder than the others, because it is period 3 with three different throws. Funky bookends is also maybe harder, because it also mixes many different throws.

• Removing one "86", we get:786 French Three Count 786
  • Adding "77" to the French Three Count, we get Funky Bookends 77786

• Adding 86, we get the French/Popcorn 7-count 7868686

• Adding two more passes (77), we get 7 club Vitoria 7778686

• or we can mix up the sequence of Vitoria and get 7786786

All async patterns with single passes (like these here) can be shifted by half a beat to get a half-sync pattern with one side throwing single passes (3p) and one side throwing double passes (4p).