theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards
How do you practice your card tricks ... ?
- Thread starter Deadman
- Start date
*(Repeat the above process until you feel confident and that the trick is flowing smoothly...)*
over and over.
that's about how to practice them.
Another approach:
Step by step perfect any and all sleights/mechanics individually.
Once satisfied, put it all together, no script, and practice until it's second nature.
Use a mirror(or camera) to check angles, then use a wall or something similar (so you won't be use to the mirror in front of you to check everything)
Then create a script to justify any and all actions.
Practice it all together, both alone and in front of your 'first' critics (friends, family, magicians...etc)
Then proceed to whoever your audience is, shows, tables, random people...whatever.
In between each step, ask yourself 'how can I improve this effect?' and change it a little bit here and there to make it yours.
Basically all there is too it. Practice alone and in front of people, then practice actually continues as you perform it more and more, though it will be second nature by then.
that's about how to practice them.
Another approach:
Step by step perfect any and all sleights/mechanics individually.
Once satisfied, put it all together, no script, and practice until it's second nature.
Use a mirror(or camera) to check angles, then use a wall or something similar (so you won't be use to the mirror in front of you to check everything)
Then create a script to justify any and all actions.
Practice it all together, both alone and in front of your 'first' critics (friends, family, magicians...etc)
Then proceed to whoever your audience is, shows, tables, random people...whatever.
In between each step, ask yourself 'how can I improve this effect?' and change it a little bit here and there to make it yours.
Basically all there is too it. Practice alone and in front of people, then practice actually continues as you perform it more and more, though it will be second nature by then.
How come people are only concerned with practicing sleights? -with the exception of foolzsight. That's like only practicing 10% of the routine. If you wouldn't only practice 1 sleight out of the 6 required ones in the effect, you shouldn't practice just the sleights without presentation.
Practice with your presentation. Think about your presentation - what it will entail, how the effect might fit into a routine, etc. Script the effect and then work on memorising your presentation - at least the bare bones of it. Then, you need to co-ordinate the sleights with the presentation. Sleights should always be performed on off beats - whether or not you're perform a pass (a sleight often said to happen on an off beat). Practice in front of a mirror, practice in front of a wall, practice without actually performing the sleights, but most importantly practice with presentation to avoid the mistake of the vast majority of magicians who ignore or undervalue the concept of presentation. Your magic will be stronger for it.
THEN you're ready to test your effect with laymen, and that's where you'll see results. Performance is an essential part of development; but development should come after the practice.
I do agree with G: BUT. Getting yourself and the race car onto the track is the practice. Then turning it into a winning race car is the development.
Practice with your presentation. Think about your presentation - what it will entail, how the effect might fit into a routine, etc. Script the effect and then work on memorising your presentation - at least the bare bones of it. Then, you need to co-ordinate the sleights with the presentation. Sleights should always be performed on off beats - whether or not you're perform a pass (a sleight often said to happen on an off beat). Practice in front of a mirror, practice in front of a wall, practice without actually performing the sleights, but most importantly practice with presentation to avoid the mistake of the vast majority of magicians who ignore or undervalue the concept of presentation. Your magic will be stronger for it.
THEN you're ready to test your effect with laymen, and that's where you'll see results. Performance is an essential part of development; but development should come after the practice.
I do agree with G: BUT. Getting yourself and the race car onto the track is the practice. Then turning it into a winning race car is the development.
Aha, but that was the question; although, I s'ppose you're right, sleights are only half the race
How do you practice your card tricks
Posted By: Scott ForrestElliott, my T206s seem to be all over the map as far as size - is there an allowable variance on these, or do you just have to get a good magnifier and use your own judgement?
Posted By: Scott ForrestElliott, my T206s seem to be all over the map as far as size - is there an allowable variance on these, or do you just have to get a good magnifier and use your own judgement?
over and over, then in front of a mirror over and over. Once I get comfortable with the effect, I'll then practice it while I'm watching TV or doing something else, because all the card sleights I do , I want them to be second nature, I Don't want to have to think about how to do a move when I'm performing. I want it to look nice and smooth, like nothing never happened.
Years back when I first learned how to do the pass, I would practice doing the pass over and over while I watched tv, not even thinking about what my hands were doing, i just did it.
Years back when I first learned how to do the pass, I would practice doing the pass over and over while I watched tv, not even thinking about what my hands were doing, i just did it.
Because sleights are the only important aspect of magic worth practicing, am I right?
No I don't think sleights are the only important aspect of magic worth practicing, not by any means, after I get the sleight down, next I practice on using the sleight with a card effect, and then the overall presentation, and performance of the trick.
I once heard somewhere
"It's better know a few effects that you can perform flawlessly, than to have 20 effects that you can't perform flawlessly at all"
Absolutely right. I just feel the need to emphasise the presentation aspect of things because so few people feel the need to say it - and coincidentally, it happens to be more neglected than sleights.
Bad kids on YouTube I can deal with - good magicians who can't present is just a waste.
Bad kids on YouTube I can deal with - good magicians who can't present is just a waste.