How to pick the first magic tricks a magician should learn
Mark writes: 'I found you book on magic practice helpful, but I don't know which tricks to start work on. How do I choose my first effect? Any help?'
There are so many magic tricks to learn. The magic shop stocks over 20,000 tricks.. How does a beginner know where to start? The answer isn't to browse through the shop until you find a trick that fools you. You're not the person you want to fool.
Here's a short video from Dominic Reyes about choosing the right magic tricks to start learning magic:
When you are a complete beginner, the first goal is to understand HOW you are going to perform, rather than what you will be performing. You need to find your style. Will you be serious, funny, mystical, urban, classic, polite, cheeky..? Until you have an understanding about the style that suits you, and the audience that you will entertain, it's very hard to practice the presentation of any magic trick.
It's a good idea to choose self working tricks when you first start out. Easy mechanics, means that you can move on to presentation as quickly as possible. Presentation is the KEY to good magic practice. The mechanics can be drilled, but your performing style needs to develop through performance. If you learn a few easy to do tricks at the beginning, you can start performing to your family and friends, and in doing so, discover a presentation style that fits YOU.
This discovery stage also extends to the fields of magic that you can choose. Will you be a card mechanic, a coin worker, a jack of all trades..? There's so much to learn before you even try to practice your first sleight of hand. Taking the time to understand how you will present your magic, will naturally point you in the direction of the first 'harder' effects you will want to tackle.
I would be interested to see what sort of tricks you recommend for beginners. There are lots of self working card tricks but what would you reccommend for non card magic?
Hi Richard.
When at total beginner comes into the magic shop either myself or one if the team talks to them.. We find out what their GOAL is. If they just want some magic to play with and don’t express an deeper interest in magic, they get help choosing ‘public’ tricks. Dynamic coins, Svengali decks, perhaps a magic set….
If there’s a deeper interest.. then they get deeper advice.. I would still probably start someone off with a basic self working card trick. The invisible deck is an excellent choice…
When they don’t want cards, there’s still lots of choices. The key is to make the focus on presentation. Perhaps Fair Play, Extreme Burn, Free Will, Unique Coin Pro… Easy mechanics, but lots of presentation..
The actual trick doesn’t matter really. It’s just important that they don’t get trapped endlessly practising sleight of hand techniques alone in their bedrooms until they become disheartened.
Best wishes
Dominic