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i guys.
I got royal road to card magic and learned how to do my favorite tricks from the book, when i went to perform them for my friends I messed up alot! I got really nervous and did the wrong shuffles and stuff like that. How do you practice and include in your practice your interatction with the audence?

gravytrain wrote:I guys.
I got royal road to card magic and learned how to do my favorite tricks from the book, when I went to perform them for my friends I messed up alot! I got really nervous and did the wrong shuffles and stuff like that. How do you practice and include in your practice your interatction with the audence?

Means you need to practice even more. Just because you have learned them, doesnt mean your ready to perform them. You should be able to perform them with your eyes closed and not mess up.

Also you will need to practice your presentation and patter alot. As that is what will sell the effects.


The nervousness will go away with more practice and the more you perform for live people. Its natural.

Be confident, be calm, dont think about messing up. Learn to be able to deal with mess ups, and move through them like nothing happened.

Magic takes time.

I wrote an essay on this a while back... maybe take a look at it.

hey dave could you post a link to you essay

Thank you

You will know when you are good enough with a trick to do it under any cirucmstance without being nervous. It just takes time, so don't rush it (easier said then done... I know)

The first time I read this post, i concluded that it was someone just starting magic, one of those people that come to TM to try to get secrets of magic-
but after thinking, good practice is something that should not be overlooked.
Not all practice is the same, as teachers say to you "Practice doesn't make perfect, Good practice makes perfect".

I talk to myself alot, just immagine what i'll say if spec says this or this or so on, also. practice in your bathroom mirror, look where your spec might want to look, A trick cant be perfect unless it is practiced for hours infront of a mirror....

Zombiefreak wrote:hey dave could you post a link to you essay

Thank you

http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic19574.php

ITs not the best, but it has helped people.

Invest in a cheap video camera and record yourself. It will seem really weird and odd at first, talking to yourself, but it will give you the chance to see yourself perform as an audience member. It's something I found really useful.

Also - as said above - practice any sleights until you can do them in your sleep.

When I started out, I used to actually practice with my eyes closed. I do now occasionally. Once I have the sleights down, perform them with my eyes closed and then check position. Can do this with a video/mobile camera. when you play it back you can see how it looks.

First thing, learn sleights, learn routine.
Then once you have learned it, you need to perfect it.
Then once you have perfected it, you need to script it.
The script needs to suit your style and also make sense ( there is no point in re-telling a tale of how you used to build traffic lights for the city when you are only 14 years old, understand? )

Once your patter is down, practice some more.
Then try your effect out on someone you know is very critical, like your wife/girlfriend/close friend etc.
They will point out your mistakes.. dodgy moves etc.
Go back and corect them
Practice some more.
Then try your effect once more on the same person.
If you pass, try it out on a second test dummy. hopefully you should get trick passed them no problem.

Go and perform to the public. This procedure should DRAMATAICALLY increase your confidence and performance.

"Magic is hard to do, especially in front of people" Unfortunatly the only way to learn is to keep at it. A tip I learned is to practic like everybody else. Keep going untill you know it inside out and backwards. Once you think you have it down only practice once or twice a day. And only have one run through. If you make a mistake keep on going don't stop and start over because then you are only practicing your mistakes. The video camera is brutal, but it works. The best is to find a magic club or another magician to just watch your stuff close friends and family is wonderful and you will probably tipping them off to the method but as stated by others they can make a great sounding board. Just remember you are not going to fool everyone all the time. At first you probably won't fool most of the people just some folks are very polite about it...and others....not so much

Some excellent davice here, and I'd add one further point. Remember that there is a difference between PRACTICE and REHEARSAL. Practice is merely the dominance of technique, rehearsal is where that technique becomes fursed with (usually) words, movement, timing and the maximising of a spectator's reaction.

Often, when watching young performers, I see a lack of REHEARSAL being the problem, rather than lack of PRACTICE.

Best,

Lee

Hey lee, that is what I was trying to point out with my 'practice' only once or twice a day. I just could not think of the word rehersal. But I'm in full agreement with you.

One has to practice so much that the action is automatic. Once you've perfected the action, it's time to practice the rest. I highly recommend using the adverts as time to do this. Have a pack of cards hand and when the adverts come on, you can do this sort of thing. Let's assume you're going to practice an overhand shuffle and retain top 6. say. You lay up the spades in order on the top of the pack and begin.

Shuffle the pack whilst watching the advert. Do something like count the number of times they say the word "the", whilst you're doing it. Begin by doing one shuffle at a time and check. Then, when this is consistent, try shuffling for a whole advert and then check. Finally, shuffle for the whole advert break. When the top six spades are still there at the end, you'll feel excellent.

I tend to do a few things in a row now; things like adding cards on top of stock, passing, fanning, transferring breaks, etc. All whilst watching the adverts and paying attention to some aspect of them.

Good practice example:
awhile back i was having trouble getting a cardini change silent, i decided i have to force myself to make it quiet.
so I went out to dinner and a movie with my girlfriend, and during the movie i just practiced cardini changes, at first my girlfriend was like "What the hell? Knock it off." but by the end of 300 i had the change pretty quiet (in fear of my girlfriend)
I try to force myself to practice right, otherwise it's easy to say "good enough"

I thought of a good analogy. Learn to type by using the home keys and the correct fingers and your typing will end up faster and more accurate. Just blindly get on with it and though it will start off easier, it's never as good.

I suppose what I'm saying is ... get it right first, nice and slow and totally correct, or it's never going to be as good as it can be.

I practice for a poster, sounds silly I know but if you treat that poster as you would a spectator its a great way to work on eye keeping sys contact when you're performing.