talkmagic.co.uk

Hi

I have specialising in card magic purely for the last 2 months, and am at a fairly decent level (DL, learning lepaul spread, spring perfected etc) and was wondering how long it has taken you guys to get up to the level that you are now, because I am slightly concerned that I am not at the level that I should be at this time (as I only have one book, and the internet...).

What level were you at at 2 months, and how did you progress?

Thanks,
Tjex

I can't remember much since It was when I was about 12, but I was practising back palms, DLs, card fans, most of the content in Jeff McBrides dvds. Although if you keep going and practise more often, you pick up the pace naturally

Good luck!

Its the holidays so I practice almost solidly each day, i feel like I am progressing very quickly.

Thanks for the response, I will look into those moves!

Tjex1 wrote:Its the holidays so I practice almost solidly each day, i feel like I am progressing very quickly.

Thanks for the response, I will look into those moves!

No problem pal and no matter how advanced the move is, if you want to learn it keep at it!

People learn things at different rates so don't get hung up on progress. If you do then there is chance that you'll start to hinder yourself.

Some people will learn to spring cards in a couple of hours while other will take years while they may perfect a spread far quicker then the person who can spring.

Just take things at your own pace. It's not a race and you will be learning all of your life with magic.

If you're entertaining people with your magic, then you're at the right level in my eyes.

Everything else is just *rse gravy....to quote Stephen Fry.

Also, what other moves should I be looking into? I am staring to get fairly good at more the basic sleights and am getting to grips with the more complex shuffles, as well as being pretty good at other flourishes.

The thing which keeps me motivated to learn more is the reaction from other people, with only 2 months experience I can leave people speechless!

I've been at this lark for about 10 years, and I've no idea what level I was like two months in.

I was never very interested in levels or being good, I didn't know any other magicians and didn't have the internet (or a mobile phone, those kids better get off my lawn!) I just enjoyed having a pack of cards in my hands and playing about with them.


Such as yourself I only had one or two books, and none of this youtube caper, so I spent a long time doing one thing over and over, as I had no more material to learn from, perhaps this as a blessing in disguise. Instead of having this overload and wanting to buy/read/watch/know the next big thing, I was happy flipping that same DL over and over.

I'm not sure what I'm actually trying to say here, being goal orientated is great but I think the word I'm looking for is "organic" I just let things happen naturally and enjoyed practising the few things I could do.

If I where to offer advice, some may see it as controversial. Don't aim to to be as good as Dynamo or whoever you look up to, just enjoy your discovery of an amazing craft and share it with people around you as you learn.

Wanting to improve is great, but being frustrated you're not as good as you "Think you should be" will surely detract from your love. Enjoy what you're doing and don't worry about how good you are

Thanks for the advice, I will really take it into account. I love to sit around playing with my cards all evening (driving my parents to the point of mental collapse )

I personally don't like dynamo, I think he is very good with cards but killed himself by using excessive amounts of gimmicks and saying "Lets try something" or "watch this". I just want to clarify I have nothing against him personally, as I am a very sleight of hand orientated person.

Did you learn one thing at a time or did you learn a few and then cycle through them randomly (I can't practice a single sleight for more than ten minutes at a time, or I get very bored!)

Thanks for all the responses!

1974

Easily 10 years. Although I wouldn't say that you can really compare something like skill level by listing sleights you know.

A long, long, long, long, long, long, long time...................................
Too bloody long in fact.

I've managed to make a good living for twenty years without a DL. The real secret is in the presentation; don't lose sight of that in the drive to pick up sleights.

Couldn't agree more Tony.

Only 8 months but in those 8 months I've gobbled up loads of information on different areas and must say I've spent more time learning methods and thinking "how can I take that method and make it unique / come up with a different way?" than focusing on techniques. I'm only up to Chapter 15 in RRTCM.

But my pre-magic background is writing so it's the creating new stuff which interests me more. (this is also my pathetic excuse for why I'm a little sloppy with some moves )