Tricks ​are one of the most fundamental  building blocks on pen spinning, The three fundamental tricks of pen spinning are the charge, the sonic and the thumbaround. 



Linkages are combinations of tricks preformed in series of each other.



Combos ​are combinations of pen spinning tricks and linkages, tricks are linked together in creative or ​difficult ways. One of the fundamentals of pen spinning is a combo called the fingerpass, which is done by linking multiple passes together.



Breakdowns give the order of tricks in a combo or linkage, as well as the finger slots used. the ">" is used to denote the transition from one trick to the next. 



Notation is any sort of language used to transcribe combos, notation standards vary from

community to community and person to person.  For the purpose of this research I will make

the distinction between Common Notation, the actual notation used by pen spinners,

Formal Notation, "accurate" to the actual combo and syntax of pen spinning notation, and​

Informal Notation, the quick version of formal notation, which may have errors but still 

communicates the purpose of notation.



Modifiers are a basic form of notation, and describe ways  in which a trick can be done in a ​

different way, For example "reverse" is very basic modifier, putting reverse in front of a trick name tells the reader that the trick is being done but in the opposite direction. Other less obvious modifiers include "inverse", often known as "mirrored" in Asian communities, and describes a trick done on the opposite side of the hand, "continuous" which describes a trick done in succession for x number of times, and "fingerless" which describes an alternative push in which gravity or the wrist provides the initial momentum. These are the most common and universally accepted pen spinning modifiers, however there are many other more advanced modifiers, including interrupted, warped, aerial, counter, too many to list.​

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Bringing all these elements together creates what is called Full Trick Name Convention, which takes the form of:



(Modifier) (Trick Name) (Direction) (Number of Spins) (Starting Position)-(Ending Position)



The ​UPSB Naming Committee explains this system as follows:



Modifier: the modifier adds additional aspects to the base trick. Fingerless and Inverse are two examples of a modifier. The modifier is an optional addition depending on the trick performed.

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Trick Name: this is the base trick. An example would be "Thumbaround." Trick Name must be included.​

Direction: this is the direction of rotation of the pen during a trick. Direction may be omitted. If omitted, it is assumed to be "Normal".​

Number of spins: this is the total amount of rotations the pen performs throughout the entire trick. Number of spins may be omitted. If omitted, it is assumed to be the default amount for the individual trick stated. Different tricks have different default spin amounts.​

Starting position: this is the finger slot, or other position on the hand/body, of the pen when the trick starts. Starting position may be omitted. If omitted, it is assumed to be the default position for the individual trick. Different tricks have different default starting positions.

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Ending position: this is the finger slot, or other position on the hand/body, of the pen when the trick ends. Ending position may be omitted. If omitted, it is assumed to be the default position for the individual trick. Different tricks have different default ending positions.

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>>History of Notation

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