Simplicity

Dec 18, 2009
399
1
Well, i don't perform often in school, but today I found some cards in my teachers drawers. Needles to say, I took two queen of spades and a 7 of diamonds and performed three card monte for one of my friends. I fooled him 3 times in a row and let him find the 7 the fourth time. After he did I told him I let him win and used the monte throw to show three 7s. I then put the 7 on the bottom, showed it, did a glide, and placed a queen on the table. I then showed the bottom card (the same 7) and placed the top card on the table. (yes, believe it or not, I get people all the time with that) Then I took the last card remaining which, yes, you guessed it, was a 7. He flipped (not literally -.-) and told me I blew his mind. He was talking to me and his friends about it for the rest of the day.

Now the reason I shared this with you, was to tell you all that you don't need to perform brutal, sleight heavy, knuckle busting effects to get great reactions.

Once in a while it's nice to drop the Dan and Dave, or the Chad Nelson effects, and perform some two card monte or a french drop coin vanish. This being said, I just wanted to remind everyone to keep things simple if you need a break from some knuckle busting techniques or sleights.

Hope you enjoyed this,
Corbin
 
Nov 15, 2007
1,106
2
35
Raleigh, NC
Invisible Reverse (1 on 1 here) is one of my favorite effects to open with.

It's quick, mind blowing, allows for numerous presentations (most with comedic elements) and ends with a setup for any 4-ace (or royal flush) trick. If you do everything right you can have it set-up again by the end of a 3 trick routine and back in the box for your next audience.

It's easy, sleight free, and magical.

I think a good balance of sleight heavy, some sleight, and no sleight tricks should make up an arsenal. If you start out with the sleight heavy material you can say something like 'let's get things started with a simple little ditty I learned X years ago' and then say 'lemme show you something that seems impossible, and is nearly that hard to do' and do a semi-automatic trick (like 3-card monte).


It really sets your audience up to think you're sleight of hand (or magical powers) are perfect, even when you're not using sleight of hand.

:)
 
I have a real soft spot for tricks that use very minimal sleight of hand and are just downright cheeky. An example you may all know is 'Extraordinary Proof' from True Astonishments. It's so cheeky yet I've never been caught out when performing it. i like stuff like that.

I also believe that really good magic HAS TO BE SIMPLE. In my opinion, the strongest tricks use the least moves. Dan and Dave may be good for showing your magic friends who understand sleights etc and can appreciate the technical skill, but for lay people, you can't beat Doc Daleys Last Trick. Ok, it's not hard, but the effect is so explicit and there is so little handling that the spectators can't help but come to the conclusion that the cards changed places by magic.

Sneaky Subtleties will always be more effective than knuckle-busting sleights in my honest opinion, and this comes from over 15 years of experimenting.

Rev
 
May 3, 2008
618
1
I agree that simplicity is good and most of the effects I use are based mostly on presentation and very little sleights. However, good reactions from simple tricks does not mean that you shouldn't learn great sleight of hand. You're going to stop learning and all you're limited to using a double undercut and a double lift when for a certain moment, you needed that pass and top change. Every so often, you're going to get that lay person with a general background in magic. They could know what a card force is, a double lift and tell you you're using a dupe. Most of what I do is dead easy, but I still practice those difficult sleights to get me out of those jams.
 
Its all about what you are trying to present. If its actual magic, then by all means, simple can be great! but if you are playing the card guy, then VISUAL slieght of hand is nessecary. It shouldnt matter if the effects are sleight heavy or not, because the audience isn't supposed to see the slieght in the first place!


But as a GENERAL rule, the more visual the magic, the more slieght/gaff heavy it is.
 
Its all about what you are trying to present. If its actual magic, then by all means, simple can be great! but if you are playing the card guy, then VISUAL slieght of hand is nessecary. It shouldnt matter if the effects are sleight heavy or not, because the audience isn't supposed to see the slieght in the first place!


But as a GENERAL rule, the more visual the magic, the more slieght/gaff heavy it is.

So you need visual sleight of hand to demonstrate you are the 'card guy, yet the audience isn't supposed to see it.... now that doesn't really make sense does it? You essentially said it should be visible and invisible at once. Also, surely the best card guys make their sleights invisible anyway? If your sleights are visual then you're not really going to come across as very skilled are you?

Why not just use gaffs and subtleties and pretend you are doing sleights? The audience won't be any the wiser anyway.


Rev
 
Apr 5, 2009
874
1
29
Illinois
today in math class i did the basic key card pulse location.

beginners trick. no big deal. and i dressed the crap out of it.

i started with everyone knowing the card and only using one persons pulse.

all the way up to this:
i had a circle of people (7) holding wrists and only one person knew the name of the card. i did the trick probably 7 times in one sitting, because i can repeat it instantly and easily.

it killed. i had one guy walk away muttering explicit comments about "some bull****"

i closed the sitting with a one on one thing with one person holding both of her wrists. and staring deeply into her eyes. (backslip force) and i named every card value. and every card suit. yada yada
 
Dec 18, 2009
399
1
Its all about what you are trying to present. If its actual magic, then by all means, simple can be great! but if you are playing the card guy, then VISUAL slieght of hand is nessecary. It shouldnt matter if the effects are sleight heavy or not, because the audience isn't supposed to see the slieght in the first place!


But as a GENERAL rule, the more visual the magic, the more slieght/gaff heavy it is.

I never use magic to demonstrate being a "card guy". If I want to come off as someone highly skilled with cards, I will use a gambling demonstration (cheating), whether it be a pseudo one or involving real sleight of hand.

Corbin
 
Feb 5, 2010
157
0
The best magic is simple magic. simple hits hard. and you are less likely to mess up doing simple stuff.

like i usually don't carry much. Ill carry a few rubber bands for crazy mans and slink. a few coins for some quick coin vanishes. i usually do the simple french drop.

i very rarely do magic that needs gimmicks. unless i do a coin bend or a pip vanish
 
So you need visual sleight of hand to demonstrate you are the 'card guy, yet the audience isn't supposed to see it.... now that doesn't really make sense does it? You essentially said it should be visible and invisible at once. Also, surely the best card guys make their sleights invisible anyway? If your sleights are visual then you're not really going to come across as very skilled are you?

Why not just use gaffs and subtleties and pretend you are doing sleights? The audience won't be any the wiser anyway.


Rev


Well, what i ment to say was that you need an invisible means to get to a visible end.
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
The Original Tarbell Course in Magic — Lesson 1
Simplicity of Tricks
I want this fact to sink in: SOME OF THE GREATEST TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS ON THE STAGE
ARE UNBELIEVABLY SIMPLE.
Don't forget that you were once one of the spectators and believed these tricks to be almost superhuman
feats. Now, when you learn how very simple they are, remember that to those who are not "in the know," they
are still deep mysteries.

Harlan Tarbell
 
Apr 5, 2009
874
1
29
Illinois
The Original Tarbell Course in Magic — Lesson 1
Simplicity of Tricks
I want this fact to sink in: SOME OF THE GREATEST TRICKS AND ILLUSIONS ON THE STAGE
ARE UNBELIEVABLY SIMPLE.
Don't forget that you were once one of the spectators and believed these tricks to be almost superhuman
feats. Now, when you learn how very simple they are, remember that to those who are not "in the know," they
are still deep mysteries.

Harlan Tarbell

AMEN! great quote man.
 
Again, i think it is the way you perform. you may have better reactions with a riffle force, mind read reveal, while some one else can get a better reaction with a cascade control and a palm to pocket.

but, i think, the opening trick should be simple, but as the performance goes on, and you gain more of audience's trust, thats when you can pull out more knuckle busting effects.
 
Simplicity is key when performing. This doesn't just lie in the effect itself but in your presentation. The general populous does not have the attention span to delve into deep, 20 minute routine. This holds true especially when you are performing in a setting that is filled with people.

Simplicity will allow for your spectator to focus on what's important, your magic. It will keep them interested so that you can truly blow their mind.

Mitch
 
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