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Hi i just registered on these forums and i am looking for advice. Currently I'm focusing my practice time on flourishes because i want to be really comfortable with card handling before i really delve into tricks too much. I can do the basic one handed cut pretty well, and im working hard at the one handed shuffle (but i can never see to get the two packs level once their separated and even if i do, i can't weave them at all.) What i really need help with is regular two handed fan ( is there any specific tips that might help me? I know it takes a lot of practice but i just seem to be repeating the same thing over and over again, leading me to think that i am doing something wrong.) Other than that im working on random card manipulations like the back hand palm. I was wondering what materials could help me learn faster and what should be the next thing i should start learning?

sauruman,

To be honest, I think you are trying to run before you learn to walk ! Why do you want to learn advanced sleight of hands moves ?

Who are you trying to fool, or entertain ? I'm a semi-professional magician and go out and entertain regularly, sometimes for payment and othertimes not.

You do not need flourishes to do magic, nor do you need a one handed shuffle, nor a two handed fan, nor a back palm.

I think you need to look at learning the basics and then go out and entertain people.

I agree with Tenko, and I shall point you in the direction of a good dvd to get you started aswell, 'Born to Perform Card Magic with Oz Pearlman' will act as a very nice starting point...and it is important that you do LEARN the moves like the swing cut and all those seemingly easy moves that you could do without seeing someone teach them, because as you drill these into your brain, your muscle memory wil begin to develope. You want to get a stage where you are really comfortable with the cards in your hands, and you can cut, do easy moves without looking at the cards, and get them really tight (precise). I am a bit of a perfectionist, and I think that is a good thing when you start, to be honest, the whole way through, up to the harder tricks and moves, where it is even more important to get everything really precise, or it will be made harder...hope that helps.

Som people may suggest other guides aswell, but I think you should start with only one or two resources, and build once you have become really confident with the material in Oz's dvd.

Flourishes will build as your overall confidence with the cards improves, so I would stick witht e gameplan I suggest and not get focused on looking impresive yet

I highly recommend Crash Course in Card Magic 1+2 from ellusionist.com

I don't know if this will make any sense at all. Just got in from a gig and read this post so please excuse if seem rude.

card flourishes are great. There's just one problem. Perform them before an audience and I've found it tends to devalue the tricks you are attmpting. The ultimate flourish? Wonderfuly timed music as you execute a 1 handed fan. The gasps of applause as you show the cards cascading from hand to hand. The admiration of the crowd. Lance Burton's dove routine with cards I would love it then BANG.

Down to earth with a bump. My close up audience thinks I'm too good. The effect I'm trying to show them seems just a little bit dull in comparison to the swanky flourish I have just done.

I suppose it is all a matter of balance in an act. If I have one bit of advice to give anyone who is wanting to start out on this crazy world of magic it is this.

Go out and do it. It doesnt matter how bad you think you are, you are better than 99.9% of all people who will never do it because they are afraid of ridicule or afraid of people looking at them.

Ooops I'm rambling but the best way of learning a flourish is the tried and tested method of practice over and over again then get out ibn front of an audience. If you c**k up 9 times out of 10 they will never know

All the best

John

Thanks for the replys. I understand what you guys are saying. But I was just thinking that flourishes and basic card manips. can help me get comfortable with sleight of hand. I don't see the point in learning tricks that don't require any sleight of hand, unless you guys can point out some skills that can be gained from such tricks.

I think what they are trying to tell you, is that instead of putting all of your time into flourishes, spend some of that time on useful sleights (in the context of tricks). You will, no doubt, learn lots of flourishes as you go along. The only flourishes I really use are fanning the cards and dribbling the cards. I do very little in the way of flourishes during performance, as I just don't see the need for them, and maybe that is a mistake of mine, who knows. But the point is you don't need to know all the flourishes (would take a life time!) to do card magic.

fair enough. Then what do you guys consider to be the essetial "sleight of hand" tricks?

I think it's already been said but "Born to Perform Card Magic with Oz Pearlman" is a great beginners DVD. Fantastic routines on there and lots of sleights taught.

A good book is "The Royal Road ot Card Magic". This book starts with simple sleights and tricks you can do with them, and as you go through the book the various (progressively more advanced) moves you will learn are accompanied by tricks which use them. Great book.

Personally from what you've said I'd recommend - The Royal Road To Card Magic (the definitive beginners book) or Crash Course 1 by Ellusionist (which incidentally teaches flourishes as well as sleights). Then again Richard Kaufman's Basic Sleights is also very good...