talkmagic.co.uk

I don't think the RRTCM is the best choice because although it has a wealthy load of information, the older English language isn't the best to understand and also just harder to learn from.

I think Born to Perform is the best source for a beginner like yourself. Visual learning I find is the best and Born to Perform teaches 4 of the most amazing routines you need and all the essentials of card techniques and sleights.

And here's a little hint on the DL. Try turning over one single card over and over again until it's very natural. Then practice getting your pinky break easily and try to turn over a DL in the exact same manner as you did with one card. That is what you are trying to achieve anyway - to make your DL look like a single card.

To sum up, I'd recommend Born to Perform .

Good luck!

Steve

If I can say this without sounding patronising, it is really heartening to read a thread like this. A new young magician asking how to learn not how to do the tricks. Welcome Ace of Clubs!

I have been in to magic for a couple of years now and I bought the Royal Road early on. As Mandrake has said it is not a modern book but it is a very comrehensive book in terms of learning the basics. I moved on to the Born to Perform video from Royal Road. However I would also thoroughly recommend Born to Perform in no small way becaause of Oz Pearlman. He is a great performer as well as teacher and it is a very easy DVD to learn from.

As for the DL, the way you describe doing it is I think called a thumb count and thet is the only way I have ever managed it. I have only ever been caught because I get too mean to use new packs of cards and I use them until they are too sticky to use safely!

Stevebo, I do think now becuase of what you said I will go with the born to preform. Also stevobo thankyou for answering my question about how to do a pinky lift and pick up 2 cards. Johnney whiz I'm doing the DL right now the same way you are. There is a beginners trick I learned that has me do a DL, and when I do it that way it could look like I'm trying to get two cards instead of looking like I want to pick up the one card.



Edited, I just looked at the born to preform, if I'm not mistaken it has just a little more tricks, plus I will be able to see what there saying. Even though its few dollars more I'm still going to go with born to preform.