theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards

Practice

R

RickyBapt

Dec 11, 2013
14
0
Narnia
I've been doing magic for about a month now, maybe less. That's right, I'm a newb (doesn't mean I don't get awesome reactions). I'd like to know how long you usualy practice a trick and what's the trick you've practiced the most ;)
(Sorry about any grammar mistakes I might have done).
 
You practice a trick until you can do the moves really well and without really thinking about them. Then you rehearse the trick so you know what to say. Once you are at the point that you can do the moves without thinking about them, then the doors are wide open for presentation.

As far as which trick I have practiced the most, there is no known answer to that right now because I practice and rehearse my all my sets and routines an equal amount so I remain comfortable with them all and do not start to forget what to do in one or two of them.
 
Being as new as you are, practice technique, not tricks! Learn how to do the basic work and don't worry too much about the tricks.

Get a copy of the Bill Tarr books NOW YOU SEE IT;NOW YOU DON'T and work on nothing but their content for the next six months or so. You'll start discovering a whole new world of possibility once you do this and more important, be better prepared at developing your own routines.

Don't get addicted to commercial effects. I know you'll be attracted to many but try to learn the basics behind the magic before you run out, waste loads of cash on things that seem nifty in the moment. If you do this, you'll be much happier in the long run and your parents/spouse won't be peeved over "all the junk" you accumulate.

You will want to get yourself at least one of the primary courses in magic too, Mark Wilson is the easiest to learn from and most popular these days and it will give you a reasonable overview of things.

As has been said, the time ventured into learning a routine varies. There are those that have invested YEARS into learning the Linking Rings or Cups & Balls as well as livestock or silk type manipulation and then there are those that barely invest a few months at LEARNING any of it, who do "ok". . . it's what you want to get out of it. If you're fine with being "ok" then you need less practice time in most cases. If you want to become an accomplished magicians however, then you must treat each bit that you do as a musician does learning an instrument, pouring hours a day, day after day, into your practice for years before KNOWING that you really are "good".

The question is one that only you can answer.
 
I practise enough untill i can do it to a camera, rewatch it, and could not see any of the moves, basically untill you know you cant possibly screw up and untill you know the performance will be kickass. Have fun!!
 
Through concentrated effort I can often get a routine up to performance quality pretty quickly. But that's only if I'm working on just that routine only.

However, there's moved I've been fiddling with for four years which I still don't consider performance worthy.

I am of the opinion that one should continue working on a routine until it's ready. However long that takes. If that takes a year, it takes a year. If it takes a decade, it takes a decade.
 
Okay, than you guys!
@ChrisBrowning, I've been carrying a deck of cards in my pocket so when I have nothing to do I practise some cardistry moves (as good as I can) hoping that will improve the control I have over the cards. About the tricks, I haven't spent much money, just bought 1 of cards/coin/ring/rubber band to settle what kind of objects I'll be performing with once the training os enough. I did not buy any basics dvds, though. Might be getting one of those.
There's one last thing: people ask me what I've been doing and I say "practising some magic tricks". Everytime I say that, I think to myself "Holy $#%?£..." because people start asking me to do a trick and, in a matter of seconds, I have a full room of people looking at me and waiting for a miracle to happen. It's not like they run into someone who works in the finances and say "hey, do my taxes!". All I wanna know is how to make them not want to see a trick.
Okay, thank you once again for reading and sorry about any mistakes I might have given.
 
Randy said:
Simple. Don't carry a deck of cards on you at all times and if they ask just tell them "No".
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That.

Performance is not like most skills. Performance can be done on the spot. If you were just fiddling around with a guitar someone might well ask you to play them something. Here's the thing - when you are in public, you are performing. It doesn't matter if you think you're practicing, you're performing.

So don't practice in public. You're probably not actually developing all that well when you do that anyway as effective practice comes from focus and you can't fully focus if you're doing something else like watching for your bus stop.

Learning how to gracefully reject a request for a performance is also a very important skill. I don't really want to get into the theory of social dynamics, but you can do a lot to build your reputation if you know how to tell someone no. You can use it to enhance your mystique, rather than being a performing monkey who does a trick every time someone asks you to. The short version is this - value your skill enough to only perform when it will be awesome.
 
The thing is, I don't practice in public, I practice when I have nothing to do :P People seem to get mad at me once I say "no", but thank you guys anyways.
 
RickyBapt said:
The thing is, I don't practice in public, I practice when I have nothing to do :P People seem to get mad at me once I say "no", but thank you guys anyways.
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As Christopher said, you must learn how to GRACEFULLY bow out of performing this is the key. Understand that you aren't a trick pony that jumps on demand; once you have that reputation it's a tough one to overcome.

A SUGGESTION: instead of carrying a deck of cards for practice carry some palming coins (half-dollars, etc.) and work on developing those skills . . . unlike card moves coin moves can be adapted to other small objects and in so doing, give you a much wider sense of ability -- being able to do more with random objects. magicians, as a whole, put far too much emphasis on card magic and become blinded as to what else is out there. Understand, I love watching good card magic, but I believe our addiction to the things hurts us in the long run. Learn how to do Magic not just card tricks.
 
I think social skills are as important or possibly more important than the physical skills of doing sleights and such. This is part of that skill set - learning to, as Craig put it, gracefully bow out of a requested performance. Here's my first suggestion, don't tell people you're practicing "tricks". By doing so you are trivializing things.
 
RickyBapt said:
The thing is, I don't practice in public, I practice when I have nothing to do :P People seem to get mad at me once I say "no", but thank you guys anyways.
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I highly doubt they were mad at you. More then likely just a little bummed out. People will get over that pretty quickly.
 
Craig Browning said:
A SUGGESTION: instead of carrying a deck of cards for practice carry some palming coins (half-dollars, etc.) and work on developing those skills . . . unlike card moves coin moves can be adapted to other small objects and in so doing, give you a much wider sense of ability
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That's a great idea! And honestly, I like coin tricks the most :)
 
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