Practice Theory.

[JarrettC2]

So it's something that if you're a performer, is in some way relevant to you. Complex maneuvers for card mechanic demonstrations or sleights, learning that mnemonica stack from the book that penguin just delivered to your door, the list goes on. Though may you're on here and you want to play the guitar in the back of your head but just don't know how to approach it.

I found this Tedx Talk incredibly useful. It first of all rather debunks the 10,000 hours nonsense that has been tossed around a ton and then goes into a rational way to approach practicing.

Quicktalks Summary:

Summary: Just 20 hours is enough to become “reasonably good” at any skill.
1. Deconstruct the skill - Break the skill down into its most basic parts. Which parts are necessary for hitting the goal you have? (i.e. if your goal is to sing a song in Korean, you can primarily focus on pronunciation, not learning a bunch of vocabulary)
2. Learn enough to self correct - Learn enough to realize when you're making mistakes.
3. Remove barriers to practice - Turn off your phone, unplug the TV. Put your guitar, piano, language book in the middle of your room, not behind your stack of dirty laundry.
4. Practice for at least 20 hours - Commit to 20 hours from the start. You're going to be frustrated at times, so committing beforehand will help you push through the frustration.​

Now while this seems kind of simple at a base level, I've found it beneficial. I have always had a messy riffle shuffle, never quite getting the every other card weave. I broke it down, learned proper positioning for my fingers (both tabled and ITH) and after about 10 hours with some tweaks here and there, my riffle shuffle has massively improved. Am I consistent or godly at it? No, but more so than I was 2 weeks ago and only getting better. I'd recommend giving it a watch.

Regarding practicing, does anyone else have information or resources to improve habits like that? Feel free to post 'em!

 

[byronblaq]

I'd agree with the message that 20 hours of dedicated focus can make someone reasonable good at an isolated task.

It is a fantastic way of approaching steps to a system. the 10,000 hours approach has never been a perfect number. Many people will be naturals at some things and pick up the knack far faster than others. It's simply a description of the dedication it can take to truely master something.

eg. 20 hours with a deck of cards doesn't make me reasonably good at magic. but 20 hours with a cull and I'd be reasonably good from scratch (still far from perfect).

Like all ways of learning the start is the hardest, once you have the bug for it you'll just want more and the hours will pile on.

B.

 

[JarrettC2]

I'd agree with the message that 20 hours of dedicated focus can make someone reasonable good at an isolated task.

It is a fantastic way of approaching steps to a system. the 10,000 hours approach has never been a perfect number. Many people will be naturals at some things and pick up the knack far faster than others. It's simply a description of the dedication it can take to truely master something.

eg. 20 hours with a deck of cards doesn't make me reasonably good at magic. but 20 hours with a cull and I'd be reasonably good from scratch (still far from perfect).

Like all ways of learning the start is the hardest, once you have the bug for it you'll just want more and the hours will pile on.

B.

Yeah, the more you break it down and simplify it the less daunting it becomes and the more likely you are to push to learn more.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

To re-state what @byronblaq said, the 10,000 hours thing isn't wrong, per se, it's just frequently misinterpreted.

Dedicated, focused practice with attention to specific details is what improves skill, absolutely.

As for tips, I've talked a lot about how to practice in the past but here's a few highlights:
Think before you practice. I advocate learning from books a lot - a big reason for that is that books do more to force you to think through the move or routine before you can even start practicing it with your hands. Ironically, some of the harder-to-read books like Erdnase do this even more - I had to read the description of the One Handed Shift a half dozen times before I could even wrap my head around what the hand was expected to do, let alone actually try to execute it. That time spent mentally figuring out the mechanics corresponds to the first step in the post above.

Focus on piece mail skills until you have a toolbox full of options that allow you to achieve the goals you're after. If you're learning a complex routine, learn each sleight individually, then learn the transitions between them. Trying to learn all the way through will muddy the process.

When learning a skill, focus on it completely, but not for too long a period. If you plateau you're not building skill any more, you're cementing the habit at the level you're at. In a single practice session I might work on a half dozen sleights - each for 5-20 minutes. I work until I see improvement, cement that improvement with a few repetitions, then move on to something totally unrelated. Allow the physical matter of your brain to adjust to the changes you are creating.

Which is the last bit - Remember that these memories are stored in your brain. It's a physical process of thickening the neural pathways in the grey matter inside your head. Just like when you lift weights, you have to give your muscles time to recover for maximum improvement, when you exercise your brain you have to give it time to recover as well. So marathon sessions of a single sleight can be detrimental to learning effectively, because it doesn't give time for the neural pathways to refine themselves.

 

[Lord Magic]

Just wanted to share what I think about when I am practising...

So...a great magician named Teller (of course we don't know about him! Who the hell is he?!?) has an equally great quote, which makes you think...

"Magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone would reasonably expect."

I feel that if the human brain is separated and looked at as a separate entity, it will be one of the most honest entities in the universe, if not the most honest.

I feel whether we practice for 20 hours or 10000, we need to ask ourselves...are we spending more time on it than anyone else would reasonably expect?

If we ever feel that we are not doing it...well, we are doing whatever we are doing, wrong.

A video was posted by 52Kards, in which Vinh Giang, one of my favourite magicians not only technique-wise ('cuz his handling is beautiful...you know how they say there's the beginner level, then the intermediate level, then the pro level and finally, the asian level? Yeah) but also my favourite motivational speaker. He has talked about a wonderful way of finding out whether we are spending more time on something than anyone else would reasonably expect.

Whether we follow his method or not, the only thing I want all of you to ask yourself...
"If I wanna be magical at this (insert skill-name) thing...well, am I spending more time on it than anyone else would reasonably expect me to?"

If your answer is no...you know what to do.

Another thing I think about are the words, 'Practice Smart, not Hard.'

Chris Ramsay talks about it in one of his videos too, that is...how, after we practice something a lot and then leave it for some time, our brain mentally keeps practising it. When we get back, we are amazed by the improvement we
have made. Leaving something and coming back to it is one of my best ways to practice. It is always best to leave something for sometime when you feel like,
"Man! This s*** is HARD! I can't do it!"
Rather than continuing on until you feel extremely demotivated and maybe feel like, quitting whatever you are trying to do.

Isn't it better to identify and deal with frustration quickly rather than waiting until our passion feels like a burden and then we take a break of 40 years from it and then come back to start *almost* from the scratch?

Intelligence and smartness can achieve things strong dedication and will-power can, but in an even shorter time.

So I feel with the correct mentality when practising, we can be reasonably good at something in under 20 hours as well

 

[sleightofhanddeception]

So it's something that if you're a performer, is in some way relevant to you. Complex maneuvers for card mechanic demonstrations or sleights, learning that mnemonica stack from the book that penguin just delivered to your door, the list goes on. Though may you're on here and you want to play the guitar in the back of your head but just don't know how to approach it.

I found this Tedx Talk incredibly useful. It first of all rather debunks the 10,000 hours nonsense that has been tossed around a ton and then goes into a rational way to approach practicing.

Quicktalks Summary:

Summary: Just 20 hours is enough to become “reasonably good” at any skill.
1. Deconstruct the skill - Break the skill down into its most basic parts. Which parts are necessary for hitting the goal you have? (i.e. if your goal is to sing a song in Korean, you can primarily focus on pronunciation, not learning a bunch of vocabulary)
2. Learn enough to self correct - Learn enough to realize when you're making mistakes.
3. Remove barriers to practice - Turn off your phone, unplug the TV. Put your guitar, piano, language book in the middle of your room, not behind your stack of dirty laundry.
4. Practice for at least 20 hours - Commit to 20 hours from the start. You're going to be frustrated at times, so committing beforehand will help you push through the frustration.​

Now while this seems kind of simple at a base level, I've found it beneficial. I have always had a messy riffle shuffle, never quite getting the every other card weave. I broke it down, learned proper positioning for my fingers (both tabled and ITH) and after about 10 hours with some tweaks here and there, my riffle shuffle has massively improved. Am I consistent or godly at it? No, but more so than I was 2 weeks ago and only getting better. I'd recommend giving it a watch.

Regarding practicing, does anyone else have information or resources to improve habits like that? Feel free to post 'em!

Thanks! This is going to be very useful!

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

The Teller quote is, "Sometimes, magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably expect."

That "sometimes" is important - because this isn't a rule. It's just something that happens sometimes.

 

[Josh Burch]

Anyone can practice, it's the quality of practice that sets you apart over time. That's what I get from this and that's what I believe to be true.