talkmagic.co.uk

Everytime I perform my hands go crazy and I can't stop them shaking. It's embarrassing and noticable and makes my confidence level drop through the floor.

Today, people actually commented on it after I showed them an effect, and I was as open as possible and was like "Yeah, I know, it's crazy - whenever I perform I get like that".

Luckily they also said they thought the magic was brilliant and it totally blew them away, but I still can't get over the noticable shakes.

My handling was well below my practice level, the turnovers and cuts were ham-fisted, and it was all down to my hands shaking. Even if the specs were impressed, I'm thinking how much more impressed they'd be if I'd been as silky smooth as I can be when I'm sat on my own.

It's really weird because I'm not actually "nervous" in the sense that I'm worried or anxious about performing - I love to perform and look forward to the chance - but even though I'm speaking and acting and feeling totally calm, as soon as I bring out a deck of cards, my hands start to shake hugely.

It's driving me crazy. Is there any tips or advice, or does it just boil down to "perform more and you'll get used to it".

The annoying thing is that I bet every performer gets nervous, but it's only close-up magic where the attention is specifically on the hands. I feel like a fool. Help!

That can be a bu**er. I used to get that all the time. One great tip i got from this forum is that if you know you're going to perform, then go to somewhere private, and shake, and shake, and shake your arms, hands wrists etc 'till you literally can't do any more, then take a deep breath and go and perform. You'll find that your hands just can't do any shaking. I have found though, that as I performed more and more to more and more people, I didn't have to do the whole "shaky" thing as often. Sometimes, you do just get used to it.
Something else perhaps that could work is, when you hear the words "let's see something then", take a breath, then take one moment to just to think "right then", lets DO IT. I find that helps too.

Hope some of this helps queenie

If you find that you are still unsure if the advice will work, is there another opener that you have where your hands wont be "on display" as much?

After the first effect and hopefully good responses, your confidence will go up and your nerves and shakes go down.
At present, am I right in saying the shakes make you fumble, which make you nervous, which keeps your hands shaking? Taking both the audiences and YOUR focus away fom your hands will stop anybody, including yourself, being concious of the fact.

Cracking advice there from Darrel... and beat me to it by moments...

During performance, once you break the barriers of having pairs of eyes (well, unless you're at a pirate convention) staring at you, you get into a roll and confidence builds.

I still shake now a tad, even when performing to close family and friends... but usually I overcome it by performing at a table—as leaning on the table helps a lot. Generally though, five or ten minutes into performing, the shaking stops.

Choose to start with something that doesn't involve so much hand movement, and opens with an ice-breaker... something to get the audience on-side and boost your confidence.

Failing that, drink 5 pints of Vodka + Red Bull an hour before performing. It may not stop the shakes, but you really won't care!

*note... TM nor its staff condones mindless consumption of alcohol under any circumstances, and the advice above is provided purely for humour and should not be taken seriously. Unless it's your round, an] we're all invited.d

I would be unfortunate as someone who enjoys sleights of hands in that I have blood pressure problems giving me shakey hands. So I take a bit longer to pick bits up. I know you'll have heard this plenty, but practice is what makes the difference. Like mentioned above a trick involving little hand movement is usually what I start with. It isn't as noticeable that my hands are never actually still. They always have a bit of a tremor and I don't like people to think the shaking is because of nerves as in my case it isn't. It does help with the confidence as well, but in my case not the main issue. Peoples attention for detail is on that first trick and if that is got through they notice less from then on.

If you're gonna shake then you're gonna shake. It's often a matter as to how much or how little. It's a natural reaction with strangers and sometimes with people that you know.

When I approach a table I always spend the first 60 seconds or so just talking, introcuding myself and asking people's names. It breaks down barriers and can often mean that your anxiety levels are naturally decreased which can be a big help in reducing, or even eliminating shakes.

Coupled with some easy routines that you know 100% will work will get you started and after that I'm sure that you know things will get much easier.

Just remember that you're NOT alone.

cymru1991 wrote:That can be a bu**er. I used to get that all the time. One great tip i got from this forum is that if you know you're going to perform, then go to somewhere private, and shake, and shake, and shake your arms, hands wrists etc 'till you literally can't do any more, then take a deep breath and go and perform. You'll find that your hands just can't do any shaking.

it does work that...

however, in your case kate, it may be adrenalin instead of nerves...

there's a slight difference (i'd argue)...

so it'll be about getting yourself in "that place" to relax and feel calm first..do NOT drink vodka and red bull...just the vodka...

if you can do certain effects absolutely on autopilot, warm yourself erm..down with that one, or even a plain old self worker...

other than that - some nice simple relaxing visualisation exercises may help too, taking 5-10 minutes each night just running the scenario through your mind in a positive way...you may think that's tosh though...

You're defintely not alone! My hands shake a little too under pressure, it's just the adrenaline pumping - unhelpful though it often is!

I agree with Abraxus - steer clear of anything with stimulants in them before hand, i.e. coffee/red bull... coke too - the cola kind, obviously - is loaded with caffeine, and quite often if you're not drinking alcohol because you want to do some magic you end up downing pepsi and the shakes get worse because of the caffeine!

Also, have one unit of alcohol which I find really helps to steady the hands. Then stop! Any more and your reflexes and control will start to slip.

I suppose the last bit is just practice and exposure. The more confident you become performing a certain trick, the less your body will feel the need to release adrenaline when you're going into it.

Without wanting to sound patronising at all Kate because you're an excellent cardie and I'm barely beyond this stage myself - welcome to the performing world! The effect an audience has on you is profound when you start performing regularly, which is why when people post things about incredibly difficult sleights and make bedroom videos etc, I personally take it with a pinch of salt until I know they perform it for real people. After my first gig got off to an appalling start, I decided my next one would include only the effects I could basically do in mittens! And the theory paid off. So I guess I'd say, congratulations on reaching the stage of your magic where you're regularly doing magic in situations that are inclined to make your hands shake, because at the risk of pointing out the obvious it means you're getting out there and performing more!

Do NOT under any circumstances take any alcohol or stimulants before a performance. Whatever any of the guys says..it will upset, disorientate your concentration. This was the downfall of many old club acts, often drinking in between appearances to 'pass the time away' before performing. It is a false assumption that drink will calm your nerves!
Pm me an e mail addrsss and I will send you a simple relaxation method which once you have learned it, will stand you in good stead.

Loosen up the arms for 7 or 8 minutes, gently before entering the venue. Easily done in the toilet.
1. Play the piano..in other words wriggle the fingers. THEN at the same time,
2. Rotate the wrists THEN with both movements going,
3. Rotate the elbows. Then with all three movements going,
4. Rotate the entire arms.

NOW after a SHORT while. Stop the arms BUT keep the other 3 movements going.
Then one by one stop each. Finally stop the fingers.

It's an exercise I devised some 40 years ago and have taught it to hundreds of actors and a hell of a lot of magicians,

PERFORM. Standing at the table. Thus you dominate, avoid funny angles and all can see all the props etc. Sitting with the punters puts you on their level and you are NOT part of their party. Only sit if there are 2 or 3 people to entertain.

Make sure everything is well worked out and very well rehearsed. Try the stuff out on one or two friends a number of times beofre you meet the public. NOT magicians. They will watch and probably launch into their ideas.

FINALLy if all fails. Introduce the Act as " This is HOW I saw a very nervous magician perform the othe night. And no, he hadn't been drinking"
Thus you use your drawback as a strength.
Allen Tipton

Allen Tipton wrote::x Do NOT under any circumstances take any alcohol or stimulants before a performance. Whatever any of the guys says...

Allen, sure as I am that those methods of stretching and shaking work in some situations, they can't do much for the surge of adrenaline you get as you actually take the packet of cards out of the box and say... (insert your own opening line). This will give you palpitations, tremors and will reduce the blood flow to your fingers. A small amount of alcohol will open up the blood flow to your fingers and generally act as a counteractive depressant to the stimulant effect of adrenaline.

I'm not at all advocating getting wasted - as I said, I have one unit of alcohol or less (a half, a shandy, a whiskey I might not even finish) and it really helps to counteract the adrenaline until the surge goes as I gain confidence and get into the swing of things, by which time any effect of the alcohol as probably gone as well. Some people can't have even a sniff before it negatively affects their performance, but others can.

"Drinking to calm your nerves" is not what I'm talking about, that's totally different - I'm talking about careful use of a chemical to cancel out the effects of another chemical that's already circulating round your body.

Not saying this is definitively "the best way", I'd advise anyone with this problem to try out all of the methods on here and see what works for them (providing you're not underage ) But you can't really say something never helps/works etc. when for some people it clearly does. Plus, when you're out with friends, a wee sip of something might be a little more convenient than 15 minutes of alone time in the ladies

It's a little like a football player or a golfer getting the "yips". The golfer becomes obsessed with where his club is. The football player agonises about where his leg and foot is moving. They over come this by focusing on the ball.

You are focusing on your hands. Put your hands totally out of your mind and concentrate on the cards moving. Focus all your attention on the cards and your hands will start to "behave'.

I get really nervous when I perform magic for anyone. When I do it takes me about 10 minutes to gather enough courage to confront someone and ask them if I can have a bit of their time. But once I do and I finish my trick, I become more confident, and the more I perform the more confident and relaxed I get. But it only lasts for so long. The next time I perform (a few days later) it starts all over again. The only advice I have is start with a trick you know very well, and the more confident you get the more tricks you can perform without your hands shaking. At the end of the day it all comes down to experience. Just have fun and entertain people.

Definately start with effects that require very little handling, something like 'Untouched' near the start of your set will take a couple of minutes to do and will be building up your confidence at the same time as burning off some of that adrenaline. You can then move onto the effects that require one or two sleights and before you know it your able to perform without looking like you're suffering from the DT's.

I find that I get the shakes worse when I do a new effect for the first time in front of people. No matter how much I practice it on my own that first time always gives me the shakes. It takes several run throughs before I start to feel a bit more relaxed about it.

In a way, I am so glad I am not alone.
I have always been a 'shaky person'. It is not just in performing. But in many other things too. It gets very annoying and an inconveniance.

I will have to try these methods and see if they help when it happens.

The solution is easy. I would suggest that the young lady procure "The Royal Road to Card Magic" and learn "Poker Player's Picnic". This is a fantastic card trick which has a strong effect on laymen. It requires that the spectator handles the cards throughout. The magician doesn't even touch the cards. If she opens with this trick her hands will not be the focus of attention and nobody will even be looking at them. Instead they will be looking at the spectator.

The reaction from the audience will be so strong that her hands will stop shaking. Then she can continue.