Performing: Under Pressure

Feb 18, 2011
83
1
Under your bed
Hey Everyone,

I've been doing card tricks for a few months, and I'm improving quite a bit..

Whenever I practice a trick that's quite hard It comes out good when I practice, I always practice a trick LOADS b4 im comfortable with performing it, I always look in the mirror, and practice it for few hours...

And Then I can get the trick great,, But when I want to show someone, I always get under pressure, and start shaking, and i just can't do it properly, :(

Is there anything, to help??

Any help is great thanks :)
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,483
3
A Land Down Under
It happens to the best of us. The only thing you can do is work at it, it will go away on its own. However a few ideas is to stand up straight and take a deep breathe. It will do wonders for you.
 
Jan 11, 2011
156
0
It's normal, so don't worry. And there are two things that you could use to help you with that. One is - practice even more, until it's really boring to you, and you could do it with closed eyes in the middle of the night. This will give a lot of confidence when under pressure. And second thing - get used to the fact that you're really getting better with the trick with every performance to the people. First few will be worse, once you've done it for people 10 times, 20 times, 100 times - you'll see the difference with comfort and confidence of your performance. So just give yourself time :)
 
Sep 1, 2007
723
2
do self working tricks for a little while, then move up and do one sleight tricks! It's a staircase but you can make it!
 

Ola

Jul 10, 2009
177
0
36
Lillestrøm, Oslo, Norway
I've got two tricks I'm comfortable performing, and that's because I got good patter for it!
One of them is the first trick I ever learned - the triumph.

You know how they always say a heckler took your cards and mixed them?
Well, i was performing on a train for some older ladies, and a business-looking type took half of my deck and flipped it over, and told me to keep shuffling, and then he laughed! Probebly just a joke, but I did it! True ****ing story!
So I zarrowshuffled the cards, and did my usual triumph, and voila - instant miracle!

I've been using the story for patter ever since, and since I got out of that situation, my confidence in the trick grew, and I can perform it under pressure. I think my patter calms me down.
 
May 19, 2010
239
24
Lol I'm not that new, I did that for a few weeks, and now I practice about 8 hours a day.. lol
Don't think self working tricks are just for beginners. Some of my favorite tricks to perform are self workers because they deliver great reactions.
 
Jan 11, 2011
156
0
I've got two tricks I'm comfortable performing, and that's because I got good patter for it!
One of them is the first trick I ever learned - the triumph.

You know how they always say a heckler took your cards and mixed them?
Well, i was performing on a train for some older ladies, and a business-looking type took half of my deck and flipped it over, and told me to keep shuffling, and then he laughed! Probebly just a joke, but I did it! True ****ing story!
So I zarrowshuffled the cards, and did my usual triumph, and voila - instant miracle!

I've been using the story for patter ever since, and since I got out of that situation, my confidence in the trick grew, and I can perform it under pressure. I think my patter calms me down.

Great job! :) Also - whenever you can create a patter in which you relate to your real life experience, rather than saying some unbelievable stories, I think, spectators find it much more interesting and have completly different approach to the trick.
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
I used to practice all of the time and had the same shaking and sweaty hands every time it was time to perform for a live audience. Eventually I cut way back on the individual practice at home and just kept performing for people over and over and over until the fear was gone and actually became an adrenaline rush prior to performing. Now it is more of a "high" than a "scared crapless" feeling. No more shaking hands and sweaty palms. Getting hired for strolling gigs and table hopping also contributed to getting better and better. I would perform the same effects at least 20 times that night.
 
Jul 13, 2009
424
0
Edmonton, Canada
Hand shaking cannot be elimnated by practicing but by performing more and more for people ...

Same thing happens to me too, i perform at school a lot. When friends or other teeangers i don't know ask for a performance, i'm like "I got this". I perform and everything goes smooth. But when a teacher ask me to perform off guard, for some reason i start shaking like crazy. I start doing everything fast, crappy flourishy cuts ... that's i believe is because i know they are older and more experienced and am afraid they may catch my moves, that leads to a crappy performance. I still haven't found a way around this, that doesn't bother me much because i perform for teachers very very rarely ....
 
Feb 18, 2011
83
1
Under your bed
Cool, thanks a lot, so I should just get a move down well, and perform for lots of people and It'll go away. Great :)

One more question (I should probably start a new thread for this, but I can't be bothered) How do you make up good patter?
Are there any books/ DVD's to help with that?
=]
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
I personally make up my own. Sometimes I will talk as if I am in third person and describing an effect that I saw as a young child when I was watching a magician. For example: "As a child my parents used to travel a great deal and many times we would be in big cities. One afternoon as my family walked down the sidewalk we saw a magician blowing up a large clear balloon...." Do you see where I am going with this? It is called story telling and is a very basic way to patter. As I am recalling the "made up memory" I am going through Needle through the balloon effect. It may not be very strong but is a great way to start out as a beginner.

There is a book titled Scripting Magic out as well.
 
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