talkmagic.co.uk

Hi, I'm new here and to magic in general. However, I'm hooked (you can read more about it here) and restless.

I started reading some material on coin and card magic yesterday and decided to give it a try today, after practicing a couple of coin concealments for a few hours. I think I suck. Could you be the judge?

First Trick Ever
First Card Trick Attempt
Second Card Trick Attempt

By the way, I decided to start by learning coin magic. I just figured out the card tricks based on other crappy youtube videos.

The thing is, a good more few hours have passed and I don't think I've improved at all. If that's possible, I think I've gotten worse. So, my question is:

Regarding learning any new moves/tricks, should I obsess at getting something just *perfect* before moving on to some other thing (and keep practicing it, of course), or should I learn more than one thing at a time, building my skills with a more broad approach?

My problem is that I've ordered a few books but they'll take a long while to get here, so I don't know what to do next but I can't wait to learn something new.

Also, I'd like to know if you guys think I've got "what it takes".

I know it's too soon to make that kind of assessment, but I play some instruments, I've even given a few guitar classes to friends and acquaintances, and I kind of have a feeling that someone is (a) hopeless, (b) somewhat around average, (c) can become good or (d) a prodigy in the making. My expectations are usually spot on.

I have a friend who saw me playing in my old band a few years ago and asked if I could tutor him. He couldn't decide if he'd like to learn guitar or drums, so I had him mess around on both for me. It didn't take long for me to tell him he definitely had to pick a guitar, and now he's probably the best guitarrist I've met in person.

So I'd just like to know the impressions you guys get about those videos.

PS: I know my manoeuvres are so slow they totally give away the trick, but I did some lousy tagging and people should have a hard time stumbling across the videos.

Usually videos are posted in the File Sharing topic (Note from Mods: Now moved to File Sharing) but since you posted them here, I will comment here.

First of all, good work. If you just started you are doing well. Since you mentioned that the sleights are slow I will not comment on that, but you flashed on the coin trick.

The fact that you figured out some tricks from watching videos is pretty good. The fact that you performed them reasonably well is more impressive. But (as has been discussed here before) knowing the secret does not make a magician. Technically, I am a good musician, but only technically. I can play the notes, and play complicated peices, but that isw all it is, playing the notes. Music never resonated for me to the point to where I crossed over from playing the notes to playing music. Other musicians here will probably understand what I mean. For us to determine if you

have what it takes

we would probably have to see something more along the lines of a complete routine. Using the music reference above, if someone heard me play the Fuge in G Minor on a piano, or YYZ on the bass, they may think that I am a skilled musician, but if they heard more they would realize that, although I can play the notes correctly, the expression that makes it music is missing. Similarly, in the videos we see you performing technical moves, which are a small part of what makes a magician.

You seem to possess the physical ability to learn coin and card effects, but as for the other requirements of becoming a magician, I do not believe that we have enough information to make that determination, and as magicians, we would be doing a disservice to you and our art by telling you that you have what it takes without enough information to properly make such an determination.

Just for clarity, I am not saying that you either have or do not have what it takes, only that we need to see more to answer that question.

Well put.

I thought you did very well. I mean that sincerely. I'm terrible at the dexterity stuff and yours was pretty good.

Just to expand upon Kolisar's comments - while you have skill do remember that, like Kolisar said, it is by no way the be all and end all. Some of the great masters of our art were quite lacking technically after all, but their performance style made up for it all.

Some people, I think, have a natural gift for engaging audiences and entertaining them. For others, it takes work, and comes through experience and refinement - but in the end, provided you work at it, I think presentation ability is something everyone can pick up.

Best of luck with it all! .

Usually videos are posted in the File Sharing topic

Oh, I didn't notice it. Sorry.

First of all, good work. If you just started you are doing well. Since you mentioned that the sleights are slow I will not comment on that, but you flashed on the coin trick.

Thanks. But yeah, it really pees me off that the camera decided to compile those 3 frames - of all! - into one.

And, Kolisar and Cardza, I appreciate your words and, being a musician myself, tottally got what you both said. Actually I didn't express myself quite right; what I really wanted was to know if my dexterity was good enough for some 4-6 hours of practice.

But overall, thanks for the incentive.

Regarding the amount of practice, I started yesterday but did nothing all day, today (going out with girlfriend). So I was wondering, usually, in a broad average, how many hours of practice per day does it take till one can really master the basics? How long did it take you, for example?

Just keep plugging away and you'll be a pro before you know it!

Nice backpalm by the way!