3 Trick Rule - Agree Or Disagree?

Jan 16, 2008
82
0
Wroking Overseas
I know this is going to start an all out bash fest on me, but I was reading a post that someone wrote about what magician needs to know. And I agreed with every point but one of the points that has always bothered me is the one about how a professional knows 3 tricks perfect and an amateur knows 15 tricks just ok, and how you should not go and perform until you get those 3 tricks perfect. I do agree with the fact that every magician learning a new effect should practice practice practice, but once the machanics is worked out and a little patter...then its time to get out there and perform. I am not a professional magician, but there is not a pro out there than can convince me that their biggest learning tool was NOT performing for real people. There is no mirror or video camera that is going to prepare you for dealing with real people with different personalities, angle problems, people who like to be grabby, people who just burn your hands, weather, lighting issues (bar, club etc.), drunk people, kids.. etc..etc..etc.

So, my point is, I feel like any good performer needs to know more than just 3 trick well, so that you can change up a trick in a routine if you realize you are dealling with a certain type of person. If someone is just there to catch you and just burning your hands then you can go into soemthing that does not require as many slieghts and more in their hands. Also, you can just put the cards away and do something with some object borrowed or some type of mentalism effect, because I find that when you pull out a deck of cards some people feel like it is a game of "try and catch me" rather than "watch and enjoy". I feel that if magic is love or passion of yours then you need to be versitile in what you can do. Ideally, you should work on your own material, but I am sure that you will find a trick or two that you will buy or read that you just HAVE to do because you love the effect so much.

Anyway I am getting off the point a bit. I feel all magicians needs to stay versitile in their magic. And have enough material to perform in different situations, and that WILL BE more than 3 tricks. If anyone out there has the UltraGaff video and cards from W:H and D:G, in the beginning of that video they even say that the effects on the DVD and gaffs were made under a time contraint they were given from ellusionist, and i feel they performed the effects well. So anyway... what do you guys think?
 
Apr 26, 2008
255
0
Melbourne, Australia
you're missing the point of what was being said..


he wasn't saying learn and master 3 effects and you'll be an excellent magician.. he was essentially saying that if one person learned 3 effects perfectly and another learn 15 effects at a mediocre level, the one who has the 3 perfect effects is a better magician.

you've just taken it too literally.


think about it.. if a magician learned 5 effects 100% perfectly, wouldn't you think they'd be a better magician than the one that learned 3 perfectly?

he's just saying put effort into your learning; don't start performing effects until they're perfect if you want to be considered to be a great magician.
 
May 2, 2008
148
11
you're missing the point of what was being said..


he wasn't saying learn and master 3 effects and you'll be an excellent magician.. he was essentially saying that if one person learned 3 effects perfectly and another learn 15 effects at a mediocre level, the one who has the 3 perfect effects is a better magician.

you've just taken it too literally.


think about it.. if a magician learned 5 effects 100% perfectly, wouldn't you think they'd be a better magician than the one that learned 3 perfectly?

he's just saying put effort into your learning; don't start performing effects until they're perfect if you want to be considered to be a great magician.

Your name.. Is JIMMAH. (This will be the last time I do that. :))
 
I always considered that '3-trick-rule' to be more metaphorical than literal; it's pretty much just another version of the old 'quality over quantity'. That said, I don't know ANY professional magicians that only perform 3 tricks.

Oh, and Volcan...
Your name.. Is JIMMAH. (This will be the last time I do that. )
Please, how exactly did that contribute to the discussion?
 
Apr 26, 2008
255
0
Melbourne, Australia
oh and the other thing.. it's not a 3 trick rule, it's just a guideline. you don't have to follow it if you don't want. it's just a suggestion to become an excellent performer.
 
May 2, 2008
148
11
I always considered that '3-trick-rule' to be more metaphorical than literal; it's pretty much just another version of the old 'quality over quantity'. That said, I don't know ANY professional magicians that only perform 3 tricks.

I just think he means that instead of doing 15 tricks that you aren't so good at it's better to learn 3 tricks and master those..

I don't think he is saying that you will need ONLY 3 tricks mastered to be a great magician.

Edit: Jimmah(his name is Jimmah) beat me to it.. In a way.

Edit #2: I'm not sure if that made much sense, it is 3:24 AM here and I can't think straight..
 
Sep 1, 2007
494
0
on Theory11.
you're missing the point of what was being said..


he wasn't saying learn and master 3 effects and you'll be an excellent magician.. he was essentially saying that if one person learned 3 effects perfectly and another learn 15 effects at a mediocre level, the one who has the 3 perfect effects is a better magician.

you've just taken it too literally.


think about it.. if a magician learned 5 effects 100% perfectly, wouldn't you think they'd be a better magician than the one that learned 3 perfectly?

he's just saying put effort into your learning; don't start performing effects until they're perfect if you want to be considered to be a great magician.

Exactly. The "three trick rule" is more of a suggestion than an actual rule... and a rather good one at that.
 
well, Dayton I believe you read this in my thread so let me jump in here and clarify everything for you.

You are taking that too literally. What I was saying is if you focus on 3 or 5 effects at the start of your magic and learn them perfectly then you will be a much better magician than someone who knows the method to 17 different tricks but can not perform fluently and makes up stupid patter as he goes.

The person who has perfected his 3 tricks will be much more enjoyable to watch, than the person who can barely do 85 different tricks. Also, please do not think that I meant to continuously practice in front of a mirror. first practice in front of a mirror so you can see what you are doing wrong and right. when you can do it fluently, take the mirror out and instead perform for a video camera. Then you can watch it and see if you flashed and stuff. then hit the street when that is mastered.

I hope this clarified everything,
Dylan P.
 
Aug 31, 2007
263
0
It's not just a suggestion - I think it's a lot more than that.

When Lee Asher said to learn 3 tricks, he was referring to beginners starting out in magic.

I hope we all agree that sometimes (in fact, in many cases), beginners in magic often are too excited when they first come in touch with magic, that they start buying a sh*tload of tricks and props and gimmicks and DVDs and books. Oh wait, nowadays many beginners "can't understand/read magic books".

Therefore, it's ADVICE (and a very good one,I must say), for beginners in magic to just learn 3 tricks and practise them VERY well. Not just VERY well - it should be IMMACULATELY PERFECT.

If you perform on a regular basis (for friends, in professional settings etc), you will realise that slowly, you have a standard repertoire of tricks that you always do, and you are confident of doing well without screwing up.

Now, does it mean that to be an excellent magician, all you need are 3 tricks? Of course not. At least, I don't quite believe it.

I was once talking to Huron (of Virtuoso and FiTH fame) on MSN, and he said something quite cool. (not quoted word for word)

"You know the often-quoted phrase, "An amateur performs different tricks for the same audience, but the professional performs the same tricks to different audiences. I want to be a master, because a true master of magic can perform different tricks for different audiences." "

You will eventually need to gain more knowledge about magic and the tricks. But for beginners, listen to the advice and learn just 3 tricks. Master them until you can do them not only perfectly, but EFFORTLESSLY too.

And don't start thinking you can "learn more new stuff, get more new material, what should I get next" after 1 month of practise. It isn't enough. At least it isn't enough if you want to be good. Unless, like Chris Kenner says, "you're very talented". But don't count on talent - talents put in loads of hard work too.

- harapan. magic!
 
Searching...
{[{ searchResultsCount }]} Results