Struggling to get going as Beginnner

[coffeeparamedic]

Hey Everyone!

Firstly, awesome forum! Great stuff here!

I am an absolute beginner, and I have decided to start with card magic. I went out and got the Royal Road to Card Magic and the R Paul Wilson DVD's and have been working through it. I have really stuck to the instructions to not go ahead, and I am still busy with the first section of the overhand shuffle.

I am struggling to get good at the tricks in this section. I have been practicing and practicing, but whenever I show the trick to anyone, they can see what I am doing.

What am I doing wrong? I am practicing a lot but obviously not getting it that well. Any pointers would be great.

Is this approach to starting a good one or are there better options?

thanks a lot
CoffeeParamedic

 

[Maaz Hasan]

Try building a customized story. You need to have a good presentation. And it's fine to work ahead lol. Infact, it is probably better if you learn the mechanics of the next few chapters, to understand what is used when.

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

Coffeeparamedic, don't be too hard on yourself and don't get discouraged. It takes time and dedication to move beyond the beginner stage, but it will happen if you stick with it. This is something even those who are now quite accomplished, or even experts, have had to go through. You are wise to stick to the instructions not to jump ahead. I would recommend that you videotape yourself doing the tricks with an iPhone, smartphone, or other device you might own or have access to. Set the camera propped up on a table with like a book or something, perform the trick just as if you were doing it for people, patter and all, then watch it back. You will see the weak points or where you are flashing. Work on the weak area(s). Then repeat the process. Videotape yourself doing the trick again, watch the performance, and keep doing it over and over. Just work on one trick and get it really down. You will be amazed at how quickly you will improve following this process. Then you can move to another trick, etc.

 

[ChrisJGJ]

I have detailed notes about every trick in the Royal Road. What trick in the overhand shuffle section do you seem to be struggling with in particular?

 

[coffeeparamedic]

Thanks for all the responses.

There isn't any particular trick I am having problems with, just feel like I am not progressing.
One example is when i do Topsy Turvy, I cannot flip the deck leaving the bottom card face up without the spectator seeing it. I have also filmed and I can see the card being left face up.
I suppose just practice practice practice...
I'll keep you all posted..

 

[ChrisJGJ]

Thanks for all the responses.

There isn't any particular trick I am having problems with, just feel like I am not progressing.
One example is when i do Topsy Turvy, I cannot flip the deck leaving the bottom card face up without the spectator seeing it. I have also filmed and I can see the card being left face up.
I suppose just practice practice practice...
I'll keep you all posted..

Tilt up a little bit when turning the deck over. It'll cover it more. Also you don't really want the spectator paying attention to your hands when you're doing this move. So either already have the card flipped over when you pull out the cards, or misdirect them as you do the move. They shouldn't be looking at your hands. Also I have a variation of Topsy Turvy where you can have them make a selection and it'll be the only card facing the other direction in the pack. Like a mini triumph sort of. PM I'll talk to you about it.

 

[Hgagnon]

Thanks for all the responses.

There isn't any particular trick I am having problems with, just feel like I am not progressing.
One example is when i do Topsy Turvy, I cannot flip the deck leaving the bottom card face up without the spectator seeing it. I have also filmed and I can see the card being left face up.
I suppose just practice practice practice...
I'll keep you all posted..

I had the same problem with that trick. I kinda figured it out...
You need to tilt your hand up a little so they can't see the card and when you flip it cover the card with the pack

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

@ChrisJGJ: "...misdirect them as you do the move. They shouldn't be looking at your hands."

This is an important point. They look where we look. When we are unsure of a move, and don't have it smooth yet, the tendency is to watch our hands. When that happens, they too will focus their attention on our hands, which is exactly what we don't want them to do. Look up at the spectator(s) and address a comment or question to them, or one of them, at the moment the dirty work is going to happen...

 

[Justin.Morris]

Welcome!

One probably underused tool is video. Prop your cell phone up or use a webcam, but record your trick. Then watch it back from a real critical standpoint - as if you were watching someone else. Look for suspicious movements, awkward pauses, flashes (where a spectator might see something they shouldn't have seen). Then work on the elements you noted. Practice lots and then record again at a later date, and repeat.

One thing that I think many people don't realize is how much practice goes into each effect. I cannot even imagine how many times magicians practice something like a double lift! The effects can be so simple, but the amount of work that goes in before hand can be astounding.

 

[CaseyRudd]

In regards to the misdirection tips stated by others, it is also extremely important to be able to perform a lot of your sleights without ever looking at your hands. This will come with a ton of practice of course, but once you get to that point you will realize how easy it is to misdirect an audience. If you can do your sleights without looking, there is no reason to be tempted and look down when you execute a move. A big tip that I always encourage is to not rush the move when you execute it. Even if you are not looking, quick and rushed actions can be picked up on in peripheral vision. No death grips on the deck, no stiff hand movements, no quick jolts of the hands. Keep it relaxed and smooth, at a normal nonchalant speed. Let the cards move in your hands, rather than you using force to move them. I can't stress enough how important this is when practicing. You will certainly start to see improvement after practicing this way.

 

[Maaz Hasan]

Also, while you build on your performance and slights, learn a few self working or "semi-automatic" tricks . They allow for so much personalization to the presentation, and are just as powerful, and there is nothing that your friends will see if they are burning your hands.

 

[Gabriel Z.]

First and foremost welcome to Theory11 forums. There is a lot of material to cover in The Royal Road to Card Magic. I would recommend getting the DVD's Paul Wilson and Rudy Hunter and the book as well. As suggested previously do NOT skip chapters. Take heed of what Hugard and Braue mention in the book , it is a lushly green path, and you will be tempted to skip chapters and read ahead. My advice is to read a chapter a month. However slow this may seem, I think this will give you ample opportunity to practice the given sleights. Each chapter starts out with the sleight and then gives tricks using those sleights, that is the setup of the book for the most part. I have learned a lot from The Royal Road to Card Magic, and my train of thought when thinking about any card magic book is always redirected back to the Royal Road. As many people on the forum know I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia back in 2008. This is about the same time I picked up my first deck of cards. My first official purchase from theory11 was in 2012-2013 thats about at least 4 years that I have stuck with card magic. I have met a lot of interesting people on this forum, some like me, some don't. Irrespective of this it's a great community to flourish(No pun intended). After you have successfully completed The Royal Road to Card Magic , and by this I mean Lepaul's definition of mastery (Being able to do each sleight as easily as you breathe) I would go onto Expert Card Technique, also by Hugard and Braue. There are enough moves and tricks in that book to fill a lifetime. And after you have read that book and mastered the material in there only then would I jump into The Expert at the Card Table by S.W. Erdnase. As MagicOrthodoxy said you'll notice that the more you advance in card magic books the more it becomes theoretically based. However, you said that you just picked up the Royal Road to Card Magic , so just keep practicing what's in there and you should be fine. I would keep my practice sessions geared toward close friends and family , that is until you are extremely confident enough to show people in public. If you still find you are interested in card magic and have not deviated from the royal road , check out some other books like the ones mentioned in this video