How to do Magic Tricks

Advice and Support for Magicians

Learning Sleight of Hand is Like Comic Collecting

by Dominic Reyes 1 Comment

Learning Sleight of Hand

By Dominic Reyes

Mark is new to magic and is learning sleight of hand. He is working on controls and sleights rather than tricks and effects..

Mark asks: 'I am new to card magic or any magic for that matter. I have been strictly working on my card handling with barely any work on tricks, just the occasional tricks to show to my kids. I really like working on controls, trying to get the card from middle to top and bottom but am struggling with most of them. What would be your recommendation of a control I should use or practice that is the most practical?' 

Hi Mark,

It's great to hear that you are putting in so much work into your card skills. The results you get are directly proportional to the quality of magic practice you are prepared to do.

Sleight of hand and comic collecting

Did you read comics when you were a kid? I did, in fact, I still read the odd issue of The Walking Dead from time to time. I even collected a few titles when I was back in college. Some of my friends got really into it. They would buy every issue (sometimes two copies) and store them carefully inside a Mayar protective sleeve, with an acid free backing board to keep them in A1 condition. Those comics became 'investments' in their eyes, and they loved every moment of collecting. 

There's a little problem with this that used to worry them. The paper in 20th century comics was CHEAP. It contained acid, which over time eats away at the paper. Even though they had done everything they could to keep their 'archive' away from conditions that would damage the paper, it was the ink and paper itself that would slowly fall apart and turn to dust over 20,40,50 years..

Learning sleight of hand as a collection of moves is a bit like comic collecting. When you build an archive of sleights they build up and get mastered over time. But as soon as you stop drilling them, they start to corrode.

Honestly ask yourself: How many of these moves will you remember in 10 years time?

The only techniques you will be able to remember and perform well, will be the ones you constantly perform.

Time destroys muscle memory. Without regular repetition, your controls and moves will degrade until you are disappointed with each one. You need constant performance to keep things fresh and remember all the mechanics.  If you collect moves outside of performance pieces (tricks) to use them, you may end up like the old comic collector that goes up to his attic to find his stacked up boxes of comics are just filled with bags of paper dust.

Sleight of hand and painting

Studying just moves, controls and sleights endlessly is like a painter, spending years learning how to perfectly mix the oil paints to every shade of colour… They end up with a huge palette of paints, but no paintings….

Choose tricks and effects first, then MASTER the controls, moves and sleights you need to perform that effect. Now you have improved your skills with a goal at the end.

Which move should you learn next? Start researching effects that you can build into sets of tricks to form an act. Be REALLY selective. Pick tricks that amaze you, but that will also entertain an audience. They need to be perfect for the type of venue you will perform within, and the type of people that will also be there.

Once you have selected your tricks, start on just one, and work on the controls, moves, and sleight of hand that is required to fully master it. That's what I recommend you work on next.

But that doesn't answer my question!

OK.. lecture over.. If you really want a suggestion of a move or control to work on, you should make sure you master at least one variation of these:

The Double Lift

The Top Change

The Over Hand Shuffle Control

The Mercury Fold

One Handed Card Palm

A Series of Good False Shuffles and Cuts

The rest; the controls, shifts, placements and changes are just icing on the cake… 

 

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Filed Under: beginners, how to do magic tricks, magic advice, practice, sleight of hand Tagged With: magic advice, practice, sleight of hand

Approaching Magic Practice – Free eBook

by Dominic Reyes 1 Comment

Approaching Magic Practice eBook

Approaching Magic Practice – Free eBook on Effective Practice Techniques for Magicians

Over the years, many magicians visit the magic shop to get personal tuition or simply for us to help with a routine or technique they are struggling to learn. There is often a common reason for their lack of progress:

The method of practice they are using to learn their magic tricks.

Do you find that you are spending a great deal of time 'practicing your magic' but seem to be making little progress? Do you get disheartened because you don't seem to be able to perform a trick as well as you feel you should?

 

In this free 102 page book, Dominic Reyes shares advice and techniques he has learned about effective magic practice over more than 20 years. The book is intended to give you a structured plan of action, ways to get faster results, and practical tips that will make a huge difference to your approach to learning magic tricks.
 

Topics Include:
 

  • Why magicians waste so much time getting little result
  • How to avoid the 'pitfall of choice'
  • A structured, focused practice program
  • Ways to stay motivated
  • How to judge your progress
  • The psychology of practice techniques
  • How to spot and correct errors
  • Example study programs
  • Ways to Improve your existing material
  • How to build presentation into your practice
  • The 20/20/20 method of practice
  • Techniques to avoid performance drift
  • How to set practice goals
  • The bst way to remove a practice plateau
  • And much, much more

 

 
 
'I think this is a really great e-book, lots of very useful information and suggestions – I definitely have to implement some of these strategies.  Hard to pick a favourite, but I think a great idea for me is "choice is your enemy when it comes to getting things done" – something I really need to keep in mind!' – Dan Pearman
 
This is what I have needed for so long, and the book is full of very wise and useful information thank you 5 out of 5' – David Phillips 

 

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  • Cloud of Smoke Free Ebook
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Filed Under: how to do magic tricks, practice Tagged With: ebook, magic ebooks, practice

How do Magicians Practice? – The Process of a Magic Drill

by Dominic Reyes Leave a Comment

Magicians Practice

How to Practice Magic Tricks Part 3 : The Process of a Magic Practice Drill

Following in our mini series on effective magicians practice. Dominic Reyes talks about the day to day process of using a magic practice drill to learn magic tricks:

During your magic drill practice, you will be repeating a magic trick over and over again in a structured way. After becoming familiar with the basic process of the trick, you will start the drill process. For the first few days of the drill, go very slowly to make sure there are no mistakes in your technique. Be aware of every movement that your hands and body make. Speed developes automatically over a few days in a natural way, so there is no need to try to rush it.

If you make a mistake, simple stop there and start the trick from the beginning again. Don't give yourself a hard time about it. 

Don't practice in silence. Imagine that your spectators are there with you. Perform the trick exactly as you would in a live performance. The goal is to link what you will say, to the actions you make. If you practice in silence it will be much harder to perform when you have to add in the presentation later.

 

  • 6 Free Magic Tricks From Jay Sankey
  • Anniversary Waltz Free Magic Download
  • Approaching Magic Practice Ebook
  • Approaching Tables Ebook
  • Recommended For Magic Beginners
  • Cagey Tutorial
  • Choose Magic Set Kids
  • Cloud of Smoke Free Ebook
  • Double Lift Project Free Download
  • Duplex Free Magic Download
  • Epoch Free Magic Tutorials
  • Electric Touch Free Ebook
  • False Shuffles and Cuts Magic Download
  • Faster Than Light - Magic Download
  • Finger-Exercises
  • How to Break In Playing Cards
  • How to Learn Magic Tricks
  • Tips for Leaving a Magic Gigi
  • LSQ Ebook - Free
  • Magicians Fees Ebook
  • Mistakes in Magic Ebook
  • More Icandy
  • The One Minute Magic Business Ebook
  • Pitfalls Magic Family and Friends
  • Safe - Free Magic Ebook
  • School of Cool Free Download
  • Sleight of Hand Beginners Course
  • Split Free Magic Video Download
  • Self Working Card Tricks Vol 2 Download
  • Sweet 360 Free Magic Download
  • The 80's Called Download
  • Self Working Card Tricks Vol 3
  • Think Tank Free Magic Download
  • Turnover Pass Free Download
  • Self Working Card Tricks Download
  • Understanding Misdirection Free Ebook
  • Watch It Free Ebook
  • Wedding Exhibition Guide for Magicians
  • Confidence For Magicians
  • The Indian Shuffle

Filed Under: how to do magic tricks, practice Tagged With: practice, Video Podcast

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