New to Magic here

[SparksCat]

Good afternoon all!

Im a 22 year old financial analyst and have always liked magic, however I never really thought about starting learning more about it until last year that I went to Las Vegas. I bought a book (Can't remember the exact name, will look it up when I get home) and some decks to practice on, but I really havent started practicing like I should until today. So far I can only pull a couple of simple tricks off so I was wondering which tips for beginners I could get from such a large community.

I really like card tricks and would like to perform close up magic, I have only practiced with friends so far.
One thing is that I do not really know the names of the tricks I do, I just remember them and that confuses me a bit, is that an usual issue?

Anyway, I'd be happy to receive any advice I can, hopefully now that I pay for my own stuff I can really start getting into it!

 

[leighelkins]

One thing is that I do not really know the names of the tricks I do, I just remember them and that confuses me a bit, is that an usual issue?

That is definitely an issue for me! There are guys out there that can name every move under the sun, they'll tell you who first published it, what year it was published and what the first letter of each line was. For me it's more like "that one where you take a card, then you twizzle it and at the end the cat meows." It's like learning a new language, the more you immerse yourself in it the more you'll retain and eventually you'll be able to recite the magical alphabet backwards whilst balancing a beer upside down on your left pinky toe.

As for where to start, Royal Road to Card Magic (book) is always the go to answer for this question. It is an amazing resource. There are plenty of books out there to learn from, as well as dvds and downloads, and someone a little more knowledgeable than me will be able to give you a list jampacked with magical wonders. Another great resource is this community, so ask whatever you want, which you already have done, so this advice is kind of redundant, anyways....

Have fun!

 

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

I know that you can't go wrong with Royal Road to Card Magic when you're starting out. That's a great baseline to start from. I know some of the more experienced hats will have a vast array of information.

But as far as card tricks go. Maybe look up Ambitious Card, invisible Deck, and Svengali decks. Jason England has a slew of great tutorials on this site.

You have packet tricks which use cards, but not as many cards, and there's almost always a story to tell with them.

I know of a few oddball card tricks, but I'll wait on that until the experienced workers(where's RealityOne at?) come in and we all
Figure out how to best suit your needs in the magic department.

I hope this helps in some capacity. And welcome to the forums!

 

[RealityOne]

I really like card tricks and would like to perform close up magic, I have only practiced with friends so far.
One thing is that I do not really know the names of the tricks I do, I just remember them and that confuses me a bit, is that an usual issue?

For general magic, get Mark Wilson's Complete Course. You would think I get a royalty on that book (I don't) because I recommend it so frequently. It has cards, coins, sponge balls, rope, mental magic and even stage illusions. It is a great starting point. I still perform material from that book (variations of two effects are in my kids show). That will give you as sense of what different types of magic look like.

Royal Road is a good recommendation for cards. It is inexpensive and very good. However, it is somewhat dated in its writing and sometimes difficult to understand. If you can afford it, I would get the first two volumes of Roberto Giobbi's Card College and his Card College Light. Start with Card College Light, That has a series of card tricks arranged in groups of three. It is professional material that is easy to perform because it doesn't involve any sleight of hand. It is a great way to start performing. Then work through Card College Volumes 1 and 2. They were originally intended to be a complete course in card magic until Roberto wrote volumes 3, 4 and 5. Card College has very accurate descriptions and drawings of every sleight you learn as well as tips on how to make it look good. I actually use the books for learning sleights for effects taught elsewhere (rather than relying on the person who is teaching the effect).

If you work through and master those three books, you will be better than the average magician. At that time, come back to us and we can give you more guidance. There are a lot of paths to take, depending on what you like.

As for names of tricks, you will start to learn them as well as the names for various sleights and who made the various variations of those sleights. It is sort of like learning a second language.

My best advice is to take your time. Learn the material, practice the material, perform the material, nd then (and only then) move on to something new. If you have questions about anything you are learning, check back in. Most of the folks would be glad to help. Resist the temptation to buy everything you see, every new effect, every cool looking effect, every effect you get an e-mail advertising as the greatest thing since cards was invented or the latest way to kill, slay, whack, pummel or otherwise astonish your audience. The guys who have been doing this for a while can attest that we have lots of really cool effects on DVD that we don't ever use.

Welcome to the club. Enjoy the journey and keep us updated.

 

[SparksCat]

Thanks all for the help! I'm also a very visual person so I'm also looking for a few Youtube videos and such but I found the books you are saying online for kindle and they are very cheap.

Also, the book I bought in Las Vegas is the Encyclopedia of Card Tricks by Jean Hugard. So far I have only read and tried a couple, I want to focus on a couple more tricks and see how I do.

 

[RealityOne]

Encyclopedia of Card Tricks is a great book. However, a lot of sections require special cards (double backed or double faced) or decks (svengali, stripper, men-tekel). The sections on Do as I Do and Key Cards are great. Also, you can make your own short cards with a paper cutter or Xacto knife and ruler. The good thing about that book is that it relies on limited sleights (all taught in the second to last chapter).

Avoid Youtube videos. Most of those videos are by people who have learned the sleights incorrectly -- probably from other people on Youtube. The technique of some of the most "famous" (famous for exposing magic, that is) Youtube magicians is awful. The only one I would recommend is Aaron Fisher's channel. He is entertaining and has very good technique.

I think that the Card College books will help you if you are a visual person. The books have excellent illustrations of the exact positions your hands need to be in. If you need additional help, Roberto Giobbi has an accompanying DVD set for the first two volumes here: http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S12968

Also, you can get the books from lybrary.com in digital format and they come with embedded videos (not the same videos as the DVDs) or you can get the embedded videos separately:
http://www.lybrary.com/advanced_sea...ard+college&search_in_description=1&searchin=

My sense is to start with the books (in hardcover form -- there really is a joy to reading something in your hands) and one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Leather-Book-Weight-D1130/dp/B000Y4WWZ8 If you are having difficulty, then get the lybrary.com videos (for $15 it would be worth it). Just a disclaimer... I've got these books but I do not have either the lybrary.com videos or the DVDs.

One last thought. Don't limit yourself by your sense that you are a visual learner. Visual learners can learn from magic books and actually learn better because they have to visualize what is in the text. Once you visualize it, you've got it. Most of the real secrets in magic are hidden in books. Also, you get a lot more value from books than you do DVDs. Most DVDs have four or five effects, books have 30 or more.

 

[Nate Thompson]

Happy Travels by Rick Lax. It's on the Wire for ten bucks, and personally, it's one of my all time favorite effects. If you don't mind gimmicked tricks (which a lot of people do, for some reason), then I highly recommend it. Plus, there is an easy way to be able to give out the deck for examination, which I'm not sure if he does explain how to do (haven't watched the download for a while).

So as long as you don't mind gimmicked tricks, I highly recommend you get it.