An old beginner question

[Ringo Redux]

Hey guys,

First post around here, so hello to all my fellow Floridians. Well, hi to everyone else, too. Anyway, I've loved card magic and manipulation since I can remember. It's always been my favorite kind of illusion, and it never ceases to get a reaction out of me. Now, I'm in my late twenties now, with nieces and nephews (and kids of my own, soon), and I still get that fun feeling when I see someone perform. So, I want to learn for myself, but also to expose my family to it. I've got some great little thinkers in my family and sharing it with them would be fun. Not to mention - it's just cool.

Anyway, I'm a rookie with a problem that I'm sure some people run into - I have small hands! Some sleights and manipulations, controls, etc are difficult for me to accomplish without flashing. So, I'm going to assume I know nothing and start from scratch, but I want to focus on the things I can learn and build a base from while keeping this in mind. Would anyone mind recommending a certain set of controls, manipulations, or even routines that are good for folks that dont have bear-paw like mitts? Product links and other thread links are of course welcome, too. Thanks!

-R.

 

[rich23]

A great place to start from is roberto giobbi card college and for card manipulation i highly recommend jeff mc bride's art of card manipulation dvd's

 

[veteran]

Let me first say welcome, Ringo, to T11.

As far as small hands go, that's kind of like that obese kid you knew in fifth grade saying "I'm not fat, I'm big boned!", there's really no room to claim and even less room to pull it off. With that being said i'll follow up with telling you that you cant get around doing a good double, color change, or control, you simply have to sit down in front of a mirror (or better, a camera, as they do not blink.) for a few hours and study your moves as you comb through for error. There is also no "trick" or "product" that will make this easier as far as I am concerned.

Now that I have kindly reprimanded you, I will ask a series of friendly questions that will end in favorable opportunity in your spectrum. I live in Florida, near Altamonte Springs, if you live close to this area, perhaps we can converge somewhere mutually distant. I have been performing for over a decade; would you be interested in learning seriously? What is the status of your experience with cards? What personality traits does your character possess? Finally, what is your long term ambition in this endeavor?

If you are interested or even curious, please feel free to promptly PM me with further details.

 

[danielmontagne]

Hey guys,

First post around here, so hello to all my fellow Floridians. Well, hi to everyone else, too. Anyway, I've loved card magic and manipulation since I can remember. It's always been my favorite kind of illusion, and it never ceases to get a reaction out of me. Now, I'm in my late twenties now, with nieces and nephews (and kids of my own, soon), and I still get that fun feeling when I see someone perform. So, I want to learn for myself, but also to expose my family to it. I've got some great little thinkers in my family and sharing it with them would be fun. Not to mention - it's just cool.

Anyway, I'm a rookie with a problem that I'm sure some people run into - I have small hands! Some sleights and manipulations, controls, etc are difficult for me to accomplish without flashing. So, I'm going to assume I know nothing and start from scratch, but I want to focus on the things I can learn and build a base from while keeping this in mind. Would anyone mind recommending a certain set of controls, manipulations, or even routines that are good for folks that dont have bear-paw like mitts? Product links and other thread links are of course welcome, too. Thanks!

-R.

who is your favorite magician ?

 

[canadamagic]

I have ready maany threads on people who say that they have small hands. If you Search the topic you will find so many threads on the subject that will undoubtedly help you out.

 

[Steve Dio]

Hey guys,

First post around here, so hello to all my fellow Floridians. Well, hi to everyone else, too. Anyway, I've loved card magic and manipulation since I can remember. It's always been my favorite kind of illusion, and it never ceases to get a reaction out of me. Now, I'm in my late twenties now, with nieces and nephews (and kids of my own, soon), and I still get that fun feeling when I see someone perform. So, I want to learn for myself, but also to expose my family to it. I've got some great little thinkers in my family and sharing it with them would be fun. Not to mention - it's just cool.

Anyway, I'm a rookie with a problem that I'm sure some people run into - I have small hands! Some sleights and manipulations, controls, etc are difficult for me to accomplish without flashing. So, I'm going to assume I know nothing and start from scratch, but I want to focus on the things I can learn and build a base from while keeping this in mind. Would anyone mind recommending a certain set of controls, manipulations, or even routines that are good for folks that dont have bear-paw like mitts? Product links and other thread links are of course welcome, too. Thanks!

-R.

It seems that you're the perfect viewer for Jeff McBride's "The Art of Card Manipulation". It's a three volume set and I recommend it since you probably will have to entertain children. The basic stuff on volume one require moderate amount of practice.

As far as classic card magic goes, Mr Jason England has a full video recommending books (and other sources) for beginners. You can download the video from here. It's free.