Remembering tricks

Oct 20, 2017
5
2
25
Belgium
Hey

i have been doing magic for the past 6 months now, in the summer vacation I wasn't home much so didn't play with the cards as much. But at mid september I started practicing a lot more and when som1 asked me to perform something I was surprised of how many things I forgot. This was not (only) from stress or something I just forgot a lot of the things I could do. How do you guys keep you're arsnenal big ?
 

CWhite

Elite Member
Jul 22, 2016
769
962
I'm still fighting to remember things... but that is due to years of alcohol abuse. My advice.. don't drink lol it ruins your memory big time.
Aside from that, from what the people have said on here.. practise a sleight or trick until it becomes second nature.. like tying your shoes.
 

Gabriel Z.

Elite Member
Apr 26, 2013
1,997
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NY
www.youtube.com
I have my own personal system for remembering my tricks it's kind of like a memory palace but not quite...
I kind of like to think of it as the central trick being my Ambitious Card Routine and then everything sort of revolves around the three fundamental shuffles in card magic; Overhand, Riffle, and Hindu Shuffles. Then I have my pet effects such as Round and Round, Card to Pocket, Lightning Card etc... Tricks that will entertain. Now then I have the sleights that I am always working to improve such as Bottom Deal, Classic Pass, Up The Ladder...... And I pretty much go about my day in this little world of mine. Hope this helps :)
 
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Josh Burch

Elite Member
Aug 11, 2011
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The best advice I can give here comes from Larry Jennings. Practice your magic in sets.

This means that when you practice lump a few tricks together. Have a beginning middle and end trick and practice then together.

I cut to the Aces then deal from the bottom and do an ace assembly. You might do Dr. Daley's last trick, oil and water, and out of this world.

Either way practice them together. This also helps you to prepare for the next trick way in advance.
 
Oct 20, 2017
5
2
25
Belgium
thank you for the tip, I created 1 set already , its 2 card monte then twisting the aces (with the queens from 2 card monte) and then I have my deck ready for a king to ace with queens. anything you may think of I can add
 
Jan 26, 2017
2,173
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Virginia
I agree with what these guys have said: Practice it and flow into your tricks so that when you perform, you flow into them easily.

thank you for the tip, I created 1 set already , its 2 card monte then twisting the aces (with the queens from 2 card monte) and then I have my deck ready for a king to ace with queens. anything you may think of I can add
First off this is a routine. It doesn't sound to important, but terminology is very important! :)

Next, make sure you have a patter down to actually justify and entertain.

Finally, I would pick up a book like the Royal Road so you can fully understand the basics and have some things to perform instead of random mislabled tricks :) (the "2 card monte" you named is actually called "Be honest, what is it?". The actual 2 card monte is something completely different). I suspect you've been learning from YouTube so far, right?

If you need a list of cheap beginner books, here is one:
https://www.theory11.com/forums/threads/cheap-books-for-beginners-list.49213/#/post-467974
 
Aug 6, 2017
253
158
I agree with what these guys have said: Practice it and flow into your tricks so that when you perform, you flow into them easily.


First off this is a routine. It doesn't sound to important, but terminology is very important! :)

Next, make sure you have a patter down to actually justify and entertain.

Finally, I would pick up a book like the Royal Road so you can fully understand the basics and have some things to perform instead of random mislabled tricks :) (the "2 card monte" you named is actually called "Be honest, what is it?". The actual 2 card monte is something completely different). I suspect you've been learning from YouTube so far, right?

If you need a list of cheap beginner books, here is one:
https://www.theory11.com/forums/threads/cheap-books-for-beginners-list.49213/#/post-467974
Where can I find the real 2 card monte?
 

ProAma

Elite Member
Jun 13, 2013
214
103
It is not "Two Card Monte". It is "Be Honest, What is It?" by Eddie Fechter. I would also suggest having variety in your sets. No one wants to see just cards at all. I watch this magician try so hard to gain a crowd at the bars and he fails big time, mostly due to his lack of magic knowledge. He only does cards.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
Also, you'll find that the longer you're in magic, the more set you get in what you perform (in my experience). At this point there's really only a few things I do outside the context of a paid performance. Those are things I have been performing for years and it would probably take brain trauma to forget at this point.
 
Oct 6, 2017
167
136
35
Pittsburgh, PA
It is very simple, get on your phone and open your notes and write down the name of every trick you can perform.

So now, whenever you blank out say your phone is on vibrate and you have a text. Then grab your phone, have your notepad open and look. You'll see all your tricks.

It is a beginner way, but very versatile.

This is basically what I do only I usually check it before I begin anything. Get an idea of what tricks I want to do and in what order.
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
Not to beat a dead horse but why not? Ha. I was always taught to perform your strolling magic in sets. This is how I remember my magic and practice it accordingly.

Set A = good opener (something fast and flashy) think Warning by Kostya, a card effect, followed by a good closer.
Set B=
Set C =

Each set would have something visual, something mental, etc. so that they are varied and not just card effect after card effect.

When you are purchasing new effects for your sets or show....ask yourself if the "new" effect you are thinking of buying is stronger or can "beat out" something that you are currently using. If there answer is yes...then once that piece is mastered go ahead and substitute it in for an effect in one of the sets.

These sets are memorized and you are well aware of the patter and good stopping points. This is how I feel you can truly "remember" your magic.

Too many beginners buy buy buy buy buy buy...and become overwhelmed thus flooding their mind and shelf space with a plethora of effects and none of it gets truly mastered or remembered for that matter.
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
Hey

i have been doing magic for the past 6 months now, in the summer vacation I wasn't home much so didn't play with the cards as much. But at mid september I started practicing a lot more and when som1 asked me to perform something I was surprised of how many things I forgot. This was not (only) from stress or something I just forgot a lot of the things I could do. How do you guys keep you're arsnenal big ?
How do I remember?
I don't.

I really don't remember a majority of the tricks I learnt as a beginner, probably because they made no sense and were the super-long-phasey-stuff am not a big fan of.
I have also forgotten a lot of tricks I used to perform because I did not get good reactions and so I ditched them. Recently I have refined some of the and they get awesome reactions.
I also have forgotten some awesome effects from books, which don't trouble me much since I can always browse through the books again.

What I want to say is it is probably as is mentioned before, too many effects for you. First practice a few then go to learn new effects.

However my real word is...I don't remember. Because I don't need to! As one's repertoire grows, it becomes impossible to remember ALL tricks. As you go further, you WILL hone down your collection to your favourite few effects. It is natural, don't get worked up. Part of becoming a better magician I guess.

A small anecdote here:- I don't remember here (sue me for that please) but it was probably with Dai Vernon (or was it Albert Goshman? Forgive me, but true story).
A beginner asked him how many tricks he knew. The beginner added he knew about a hundred tricks. Vernon replied "Oh...well I myself know how to do just 3 tricks myself."

A lesson to be learned there.
:)
 
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RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
A small anecdote here:- I don't remember here (sue me for that please) but it was probably with Dai Vernon (or was it Albert Goshman? Forgive me, but true story).
A beginner asked him how many tricks he knew. The beginner added he knew about a hundred tricks. Vernon replied "Oh...well I myself know how to do just 3 tricks myself."

A lesson to be learned there.
:)

The story is attributed to David Devant. It is in the introduction to Royal Road to Card Magic.

From your post, I'm not sure you actually understand the lesson to be learned. A professional's definition of knowing an effect isn't about just remembering it but is about turning it into a performance piece and mastering the effect.

I like the saying that an amateur performs different tricks for the same people while a professional performs the same tricks for different people.

With that in mind, I like what Greg Wilson said when someone approached him and asked him if he can show him something he had just learned. Greg said, "Is rather see something you have performed a thousand times.

So to answer the original question, perform something a thousand times. You will remember it.
 
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Aug 31, 2007
689
12
33
Lacey,Washington
So starting out you might know a variety of tricks you practice, and perform for friends and family once and then forget the handling/setup of the trick when you come back to it.

To remedy this, come up with a impromptu set that you can run though, a string of 3 tricks.

To stop stressful situations, be prepared. Which means practice and rehearse your set, that is the only remedy.

Do you know routines or do you just know sleights that you put together randomly to make up a trick?

I ask cause when I started out, well, I just knew sleights and when people asked me to perform I just put a bunch of sleights together hoping it would go well.

What tricks or routines are you comfortable with? If we know more we can help you.
 
Apr 9, 2016
95
56
I still perform plenty of magic tricks, but those that know me know I mostly do table work anymore. Some also know I'm a professional musician.

That said, the very same question comes to the mind of a musician: how do you remember all those songs and parts?!

Interestingly enough, it boils down to two items; rote and sets. Also interestingly enough, the overwhelming answers above!

These fellas know their stuff. Do them over and over and over again. Mr. O'Brien explained this perfectly (as per usual), and the rest who weighed in on sets are spot on.

I also liked the answer: "I don't". It also holds true in both arenas, some you drop due to lack of response, enthusiasm, etc.

Great thread question and excellent replies all around. I have nothing to add other than to enthusiastically agree; rote and sets, for all the reasons mentioned.

(We sure are blessed to have some great talent here, thanks again T11, these forums beat the big green monster in so many ways :) )
 
Aug 15, 2017
651
413
The story is attributed to David Devant. It is in the introduction to Royal Road to Card Magic.

From your post, I'm not sure you actually understand the lesson to be learned. A professional's definition of knowing an effect isn't about just remembering it but is about turning it into a performance piece and mastering the effect.

I like the saying that an amateur performs different tricks for the same people while a professional performs the same tricks for different people.

With that in mind, I like what Greg Wilson said when someone approached him and asked him if he can show him something he had just learned. Greg said, "Is rather see something you have performed a thousand times.

So to answer the original question, perform something a thousand times. You will remember it.
Well...I did get the intended message of the story.
It would be difficult not to, because that message was MENTIONED right after the story.
And am sorry...the story I got mixed up with was when Al Goshman asked Dai Vernon how many tricks he should know to become a pro magician. Then Vernon replied that if Goshman knew just 5tricks better than anyone else, he would have a successful lifelong career in magic.
I wanted to say what you mentioned in your posts. Either I was too implicit or my words were not relevant! Lol...srry.

But that's what the thing is...quality, not quantity. Ever seen how street magicians on TV show the same trick to many different spectators and then merge the shots to give a compact show to the audience at home, and then show the reactions of all spectators? It is not like they know more tricks than an average magician. The thing is, they know BETTER tricks than an avg. magician.

So it all burns down to quality, not quantity.

But am sure @The Loophole must have got the message by now!
:)
 
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