James is having trouble learning a card magic flourish. He writes:‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the chance to receive these update emails. I have been doing a card magic trick for 1-2 weeks now and I can do a few basic flourishes and card tricks.
Currently I am focusing on flourishes and I am attempting a trick that is above my skill level but it’s a flourish I really want to learn. I can flip the deck successfully 1 in about every 20 flips. I practice about 1-2 hours a day along with various card tricks in an extra hour totaling about 3 hours a day. Any advice would be really appreciated.‘
Dominic Reyes:
Sounds like you may be practicing too much. I know that sounds crazy, but you’re learning motor skills, so small amounts of practice often, is better than 1-2 hour chunks. Set up a practice drill, so you run through the card magic trick 15 times in the morning and 15 times in the evening, every day for 21 days. Slow it down to the slowest you can do it, yet it still ‘work’.
It’s a good sign that you are getting the card magic trick 1 in 20 right. It means that you have the ability. You just need to build consistency in technique.
To learn a completely new sleight, first work out what the slight is trying to accomplish – with fans and flourishes, etc this is self evident, but with things like false deals, shuffles etc, it pays to have a clear idea of what the outcome of the move results in.
Oftentimes, an author has solved a card problem for themselves and the method they put out is one that works for their hand size, so by getting a sense of what the mechanics are trying to achieve you can begin to translate the action into something that works for you. If you’re having trouble mastering something, THINK! Break the move down into it’s component parts… Are you gripping the deck too tightly? Is the deck int the wrong position in your hands? Would you get a better result with your fingers in a different position?
Pay attention to the quality of the deck, newer, more slippery cards behave differently to an older, broken-in deck. Practice with your head as well as your hands – a lot of card manipulation boils down to an exercise in controlling friction (you’ve either got too much, or too little giving you the problem).
For beginners, work on the basics first (Charlier cuts, pressure fans) before going for that hotshot cut, to improve hand strength and co-ordination. And don’t give up! If it was easy, there’d be no value in the skill!
Daniel Chard:
It’s key to remember that all sleights are a means to an end, they are much better in the context of a structured routine as appose to just learning them for sleights sake!
I agree with mastering one effect at a time! Then once the routine/move/ flourish gets to a habitual stage (where you can perform it where you can perform it in your sleep, you are ready to move on!). Make sure their used in context, I use flourishes extensively in my work, but they have their place!
Take sleights and work them backwards, change the grip, handle them differently, change the timing.An interesting philosophy for moves:
Exploit the part of move you can’t do, and try to come with a novel way of getting around it!
Learn at your own pace, but once you are ready take it out in the real world to test your effect, move in front of an audience! You will learn more in those few minutes of performance then any magician can teach you. Speak with trusted magic friends, ask for constructive feedback.
I hope that this has proved helpful and good luck with your journey.
I want to add one more suggestion.
Practice in front of a 3-fold mirror, streatching across the table.
One bit of advice in addition to short training periods is to stop at a good point.
In the beginning you will probably make some errors then go through the routine again and again an improving. Just make sure then to stop at a succesful, and a good point. If you continue to long your finges may get a bit tired and new errors occur and you will eventually end on a loss instead of a win.
Great point Michael!
I'd like to suggest something different. Don't do flourishes, unless you want to show how well you can manipulate a deck, instead of do magic. To me, flourish are card juggling, and tell the spectator 'look how well I can handle the deck.' After you've done that, how do you convince them you aren't doing something tricky when you do an effect. There are enough moves and such, that you need to do, work on them for the tricks. But leave the flourishes at home.
I admit, this is my own opinion, and not a very popular one, but I do firmly believe it. I don't want people thinking I'm a wizard at handling the deck. Once they think that it's not magic any longer. I can do a pretty good fan, but don't when doing magic. The less agile I appear the better.
Your methods may vary. (smiles)
Jerry
Good advice Jerry
We tend to suggest that magicians work on creating a mastered ‘act’ first. Then add flourishes at points almost like a garnish. It’s important to avoid the trap of learning moves that have no application unless there is a very good reason to do so. Flaurihsing can be an art in itself, but it can also very easily become a ‘time vampire’, if you don’t already have a working set of tricks to perform. Thanks for posting.
To me, the way of learning a new flourish or move is by doing it as slowly as possible. I'm never trying to speed up. My body will automatically speed up when it's ready, it never did not 🙂 Everytime I feel a move is not working out, I slow down. And then, at the point that I don't expect it, it suddenly goes well and I'm able to make a move faster, better hidden without trying to do so. It just happens. For me the trick is in letting my hands master it and make the finger muscles take over my frustrated mind when they're ready. Slow down to speed up. It works!
Great advice. One of the most common problems we see when magicians come to the magic shop for tuition, is that they are rushing moves in their practice sessions. Practice reinforces bad technique just as much as good technique. Slowing right down usually fixes most problems with sleight of hand. Speed is not part of practice, it’s a bi product of consistant hard work over time. Thanks for posting!
Oh, and whatever you may think: the fact that you keep practising makes you a great magician. All the lousy magicians quit practising when they thought they couldn't do it. You can! 🙂
Very true Jaap. Thanks for posting!
I would also add that you should practice it in sections, this way you can adapt and change the parts you are struggling with.
I personally dont go in for all the flourishes, although i completely understand why others like them.
I prefer the slightly sloppy approach. a bit Juan Tamariz style but not as extreme, so when the magic happens i’m as amazed & astounded as they are.
When you see a magician doing astounding flourishes, and dont get me wrong its lovely to watch, you just get the feeling naming a chosen card is somehow a little too easy.
Anyway, when i was young i tried to learn everything i could, and with age & experience you find what style & tricks suit you best, rather than just doing loads of everything, learn everything yes, but dont perform it all.
Best of luck to you.
Greg.
By the way, i love the new podcast Dominic. Cheers
Thanks Greg. Glad you enjoy them, they are fun to do! We are recordeding another one later this week
Oslo – Norway, June 2014.
Why a card trick works only 1 out of 20 times!
It seems that this is a question from a young guy, and it gives me a flashback from my younger days. In those days we want to impress every magicians that we meet for a comments, and I have meet most of them. Dai Vernon ones told me: It’s ok to impress People with dexterety, but from a spectators view, to close an effect, they dont care how many technical skill you use to get to the point. They applause the conclusion of the effect.
From that day on I focus more on packet trick beside my Technics.
If you still want to learn all those Technics, dont forget that you shall entertain the audience, not fool them!
And if you still want to impress them With Your Technics, and get tired when you practise, put the Cards aside for a while, a day or so, and then grab the Cards for New rehearsal. Then, suddently you will see that the Technics is there.
I have meet many Young magicians that will show me all their fabulous Technics. I always look at them, and comment how good they are, but in some case I add: What would you do if someone ask you to go over to that corner, and entertain us?
So, what ever you want to do With Your Technics: dont forget to entertain Your audience!
Best of Luck to you.
Very good advice from Jan! The magic is in the presentation, not just the technique.
Thanks for posting Jan
Dominic
I personally agree that the personality of the performer is as important or more important than the tricks be performed. If you are not liked by your audience you most likely will fail as a performer. Study the performance of your effects as much as the effects themselves. You can do amazing magic with a simple scotch and soda or a simple double lift if you are intertaining. The audience only see’s the results not the knuckle buster moves. Most times you amaze a crowd with simplicity just as much as with knuckle buster, in one tenth the effort. Just my thoughts on performing
Steven
As is the case with practicing a musical instrument, “speed is a by-product of accuracy.” The advice you have received in the article is correct. Slow it down, until you can’t go slower, to perfect the moves. Keep repeating it slowly and perfectly, and speed will naturally follow. As others have said, “practice doesn’t make perfect – practice makes permanent.” Make sure you go slowly enough to only practice doing it correctly.
guy – South Africa
Practice in front of a mirror or webcam and watch the mirror not your hands or watch the video of the recording- I am new to magic and practice card slights and shuffling while watching TV until I have finger memory-Then whenI am sure it is perfect I show my wife and mess it up – so hang in there, go slow, watch in the mirror- dont try to learn too much at once- master one thing at a time