Brand new to magic

Ubi

Oct 5, 2015
3
5
I am totally new to magic, I want to start from the basics, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a book I could use to help it would be massively appreciated!
 
Mar 27, 2011
6
1
Hey I'm new too! Here is my recommendation for card magic. I've been working through the Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard and Fredrick Braue and also Card College Volume 1 by Roberto Giobbi. Royal Road is an older book and the language used is a little old fashioned, but the magic itself is still foundational. Additionally you can usually find it for about $10. Card College is a little more modern and also a bit more expensive (around $35). Both books have companion DVD's (I recommend Paul Wilson's for RRTCM).

While I"m sure many people have their preference, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. I did a ton of research to try and find the best way to start out and both of these books had such great praise I just decided to go with both of them. As much of the material overlaps, it is often helpful to read about a sleight in both books and then find what works best for me. Here is a helpful article about what to read as you progress in card magic (http://dananddave.com/learn/articles/a-brief-education-in-card-magic/).

I don't have any experience with any of the other genres of magic, but hopefully this helps if you are interested in card magic. Good luck! :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ubi

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic. It seems a little dated and a little basic with the illustrations, but it actually has a lot of strong magic and covers all the basics. Joshua Jay's Magic the Complete Course is little more updated with some fun routines.

For cards, Royal Road is an inexpensive starting point also get Encyclopedia of Card Tricks. Card College is better but more expensive. Card College Light (Lighter and Lightest) are great for self-working. For coins, get Bobo's Modern Coin Magic.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ubi and Josh Burch

DavidL11229

Elite Member
Jul 25, 2015
589
314
Seattle
Watch the free video on this site by Jason England where he talks about the books he recommends everyone should read. Many are available inexpensively on Kindle and paperback.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ubi and graffhead
Jul 30, 2015
90
30
Many good suggestions. RR and CC are great. You will learn much from them. But you should absolutely supplement them with S. W. Erdnase's The Expert at the Card Table. My advice (take it or leave it) is to focus on only a few tricks as you begin (no more than four or five). You need to have some tricks to make things fun, so pick a handful that impress you, but primarily focus your efforts on mastering a few of the important sleights you need (such as the double lift, overhand false shuffles, etc...). I would suggest that you pick a few non-self-working tricks to encourage your proficiency with some of the necessary sleights, but again, as you start off, don't focus on the tricks. Focus on the card handling. Just my two cents.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mclintock
Jul 30, 2015
90
30
There is no such thing as 'big hands/small hands'. Work with it or work around it.

I just spotted this in your signature, Brett. Can you offer some advice here? My wife is tiny. She has very, very tiny hands. Got a palm you can recommend? Tenkai? Something else? The standard palm is going to be very, very difficult for her to pull off, and would be insanely angle sensitive. I'm not sure if a Tenkai Palm would be less angle sensitive? Again, I have minimal palming expertise. Working on it, but not there yet.
 

Bryant_Tsu

Elite Member
I just spotted this in your signature, Brett. Can you offer some advice here? My wife is tiny. She has very, very tiny hands. Got a palm you can recommend? Tenkai? Something else? The standard palm is going to be very, very difficult for her to pull off, and would be insanely angle sensitive. I'm not sure if a Tenkai Palm would be less angle sensitive? Again, I have minimal palming expertise. Working on it, but not there yet.
I think that was meant to be more cardistry related. I could be wrong though.
 

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Elite Member
Sep 27, 2014
2,435
2,029
Texa$, with a dollar sign
I just spotted this in your signature, Brett. Can you offer some advice here? My wife is tiny. She has very, very tiny hands. Got a palm you can recommend? Tenkai? Something else? The standard palm is going to be very, very difficult for her to pull off, and would be insanely angle sensitive. I'm not sure if a Tenkai Palm would be less angle sensitive? Again, I have minimal palming expertise. Working on it, but not there yet.

I also have small hands! I've been told that Tenkai would be a good way to go for smaller hands
 
Aug 20, 2015
8
1
As always I have to recommend "Modern Coin Magic" by J.B.Bobo. This book nowadays is so cheap, for the Amount of Knowledge given it´s more than worth it.
 
Jun 3, 2015
39
2
I am totally new to magic, I want to start from the basics, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a book I could use to help it would be massively appreciated!
All comments are great but if U really want to know about magic just Google it or you tube I promise you'll get more than U think
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results