YouTube and learning magic?

[CardMagicNJ]

As a young person who grew up with YouTube, I personally think YouTube can be a good way to get into magic. However, that does not mean it is the best way or that everyone on YouTube is a good teacher. I personally prefer to learn from books but I used to learn from YouTube. I've found you'll get a lot more out of books as a whole. Mark Wilson's Complete Course is $15 and basically covers everything you need to know to get started in any type of magic. Many of the Dover Books are under $10 and have a wealth of information. Plus, all of the best tricks have not been revealed on YouTube. They're in books. I assume you're a teenager as well and primarily perform for friends or peers. They can be the worst hecklers and if they've seen the same trick on YouTube, they could seriously mess you up. I speak from experience.
Books can also give you important advice on presentation and other things you probably won't find on YouTube since most of the people showing secrets are more focused on "revealing" than "teaching" if that makes sense. They usually don't care about whether you'll perform the trick well or not, they just want the views from revealing "that trick David Blaine does".

So I wouldn't say YouTube is bad per se. In fact there are quite a few channels who are quite good teachers (in my opinion) like Xavior Spade and Chris Ramsay but I would definitely recommend picking up some books.
Here are the musts imo:
- Mark Wilson's Complete Course
- Royal Road to Card Magic (and eventually Expert Card Technique)
- Modern Coin Magic (if you're into coins)
- Scarne on Card Tricks
- Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
- Card College Light

Jason England's "What To Read" video in on T11 and gives some great advice on what books to get.

Couldn't have been said better Tony !!!!

 

[Lord Magic]

thanks for the information guys. I have just had some doubts about youtube so I quit using it as a source and started reading books, but they are hard for me to comprehend and learn from because I am so used to youtube. I am very fond of Chris Ramsay, not personally though. Anyways, Is it better to stay away from it completely or still learn tricks from youtube , but not make it my only source of tricks?

Erm...I'd suggest a mixed approach again...

I mean, videos have limitations, books have limitations...so why not use the best of both worlds?

 

[C J]

use the best of both worlds?

Exactly

 

[MaryD3]

Thanks so much!

 

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

i use Youtibe for one thing in regards to magic:

Watching performances.

As a beginner, I think it’s important to see how other students perform. Not to emulate a performance verbatim, but more to take cues on what one would want to do or not to do when you’re still trying to build a character and see how others manage an audience, etc.

Of course, books will provide the tools. Sometimes it’s interestkng to take those tools and see if they are being applied in someone else’s performance, or where certain tools are being applied.

 

[MaryD3]

Ok thanks B.