| Go to page 1 ~ 2 (Next) |
|
|
Jordan Piper
Veteran user
British Columbia, Canada
309 Posts
|
Posted: May 13, 2003 4:38pm
How good of a close up/ street magician do you think one can become without knowing many sleights. I ask because I have small hands and find sleights, especially with cards, difficult. I know I can only become as good as I want to be but am often discouraged.
http://alertstatusorange.blogspot.com
|
blindbo
Special user
Bucks County, PA
786 Posts
|
Posted: May 13, 2003 9:10pm
If you are having difficulty with sleights, 'especially with cards', I would suggest you try coins, sponges, balloons, juggling, tt, etc, etc., etc.
My point is there is so much magic and entertaining out there to learn, that you could never pull out a card and be a 'good close up/street magician'.
Of course, and you said it first, it's all up to you. Well, it does help if you are the only entertainer on the street....
|
Daniel Faith
Inner circle
Neenah, Wisconsin
1526 Posts
|
Posted: May 14, 2003 12:25pm
Nothing says you have to use the same deck that most other magicians use. Have you tried using a bridge size deck instead of a poker deck?
As far as coins go... Just use coins that are suited to your size of hands. There is no reason why coins should be a problem if you practice. Try a quarter.
Use the 1 or 1.5 inch sponge balls instead of the 2".
Daniel Faith
|
Michaels
Elite user
406 Posts
|
Posted: May 14, 2003 1:07pm
Card College states, use cards that you feel comfortable with. It also states that once you get used to one size it's hard to switch. I couldn't agree more.
I have small hands and have no trouble with poker size cards. I do not feel comfortable with bridge size. As Blindbo stated in his post, card magic does not make you a street magician.
It is your personality and style that make you a street performer.
"Our technology is ahead of our humanity"
Albert Einstein
|
Mago Mai
Elite user
Venezuela
484 Posts
|
Posted: May 15, 2003 2:00pm
There are so many good effects where you don't need complicated sleights.
Get one of those introductory lessons by Daryl or Ammar or just any good professional magician. Stay away from advance stuff for awhile.
Mago Mai
I invite all of you to share some of my magic on videos.Please, CLICK HERE
|
Andrew E. Miller
Inner circle
Southern California
1428 Posts
|
Posted: May 16, 2003 1:45am
It takes time to get used to. A lot of people think that if they have small hands they cannot do cards well and cannot palm or such. That is wrong though. You can!!! Even if your hands are small. I think that a street magician can be incredible or infinately good using zero sleights. It is all presentation, audience participation, and the material you choose. I have done a close-up show once using no sleights at all.
Andrew 
If you get bored go to www.a-miller.idz.net and watch some magic.
-Andrew
|
ebyrne
New user
50 Posts
|
Posted: May 23, 2003 1:08pm
I agree with Andrew in that anyone can learn almost any card sleight. I have had dozens of people claim that they cannot do a one hand top palm simply because their hands are not big enough. (One person also claimed he couldn't do a perfect faro because of his hand size.) (??)
The fact is that you can, with practice, master any sleight. However, if you don't feel comfortable with sleights, realize that almost all of magic depends on the performance. There are more self-working card tricks alone out there then you could ever read about.
To build up some confidence, try performing some of these. With a convincing performance, you can truly work miracles in a spectator's eyes. Miracles do not require sleights!
-Gene
|
djvirtualreality
Inner circle
MayfieldNew York
1347 Posts
|
Posted: May 23, 2003 1:35pm
To me, coins are harder for some reason. I use to have difficulty with some sleights, but after a few hours of practice a week, I got them down. The hardest one for me is still a double lift  lol. I'm working on classic passing now, but can't get it even close to look invisible. Can anyone help me on this?
Life is an illusion, death is reality.
|
redstreak
Inner circle
A.K.A David Kong
1368 Posts
|
Posted: May 23, 2003 10:21pm
I have very small hands, I used to think that I would never be able to do many sleights, but now I can do everything with a poker deck. It just takes practice.
|
wassabi_87
Loyal user
moscow, idaho
226 Posts
|
Posted: May 24, 2003 12:46am
I have largish hands, but whenever I try out a new sleight or trick, I feel uncomfortable, just do it over and over again, it has been said that the hands will remember somthing after one thousand repetitions, I think that is true, although somewhat exagerated.
bike during the day,
do magic at night,
and very early the next morning,
homework.
|
magicsoup
Elite user
454 Posts
|
Posted: May 24, 2003 10:26pm
I have small hands and for years have used bridge sized cards. Recently I switched to poker size and I'm going to stick with them! Just practice. Also there are many tricks you can do that don't require sleights. I once did out of this world and the guy I did it for was convinced I was doing all sorts of complicated sleights that I don't even know how to do. Research and find the material that fits you.
|
dgiancaspro
New user
New York City
85 Posts
|
Posted: May 24, 2003 11:12pm
One thing I found out recently learning the Hot Shot cut is that it's OK to make adjustments to the handling of a sleight or flurish to complete it properly. I was not able to perform the Hot Shot cut the same way Daryl does, by rotating the deck between his forefinger and middle finger. So I use my third finger to do it. So consider learning some basic sleights with cards and modify the advanced ones to suit your needs. This way when someone breaks out a deck and asks for something, you'll be ready.
Good Luck!
Dave
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Mommy I want to be magician when I grow up!"
"You can't do both sweetie"
"Mommy when I grow up I want to be a magician"
"Oh sweety you can't do both."
|
Dragona
Regular user
New Jersey
159 Posts
|
Posted: May 25, 2003 1:07am
I found that I have hands that are a little big. Poker size cards slip out easily and I have to redirect my fingers to get them to hold on properly. I have learned how to overcome my overly large hands and I bet that with practice, your small hand's will not be a big problem.
I have the breath of dragons and the soul of a human.
|
dmk_kirkland
Loyal user
257 Posts
|
Posted: May 26, 2003 10:49pm
Basically you'll have to find a way to perform the sleights for your own hands. Everyone is a little different. I was just reading in another forum where Geoff Latta had problems with finger palm because of the windows in his fingers.
Nothing feels better than finally getting that sleight to work. Just keep at it.
Cheers,
David
|
WVMAGIC
New user
55 Posts
|
Posted: May 27, 2003 12:42am
Just keep practicing. I agree that big hands don't make sleights easier in the beginning to learn. As a musician and magician, I cannot emphasize enough the value of regular practice or rehearsal. Things have a way of working out.
|
Scott Xavier
Inner circle
3673 Posts
|
Posted: May 27, 2003 2:03am
Misdirection!
|
magicsoup
Elite user
454 Posts
|
Posted: May 30, 2003 7:16pm
There are a couple of books called semi automatic card tricks vol. 1 and 2. I've never read them but they have had good reviews. They are advertised as using very little sleight of hand. Scarne omn Cards is all self working. I believe L&L has a video on self working card tricks and Harry Loraine's Close Up Card Magic has some self working tricks. You might be surprised how well some self working card tricks play.
|
Payne
Inner circle
Seattle
4264 Posts
|
Posted: May 30, 2003 7:49pm
I've been doing magic as a part time pro for over twenty years and do very little sleights. I only regularly perform one or two card tricks (neither which requires a single sleight) and a couple of coin tricks that require more direction of attention than sleight of hand. I recognized early that knuckle busting sleights were not my forte and concentrated instead on presentation.
I contend that we are both atheists.
I just believe in one fewer god than you do.
http://masterpaynemagic.com
Need a Corset in Seattle? http://fittingroomcorsets.com
|
magic fett
New user
45 Posts
|
Posted: May 31, 2003 5:50pm
The only good sleight is one that enhances the effect. If you are doing sleights to be doing sleights you are wasting your time.
|
irossall
Special user
Snohomish, Washington
514 Posts
|
Posted: Jun 12, 2003 7:56am
Do yourself a favor and read EVERYTHING that Master Payne has to say. I have had the pleasure to watch Master Payne perform his Magic and I can surely tell you, it is ALL about presentation (read that, SHOWMANSHIP). I Love to watch an excellent Magical performance and I do appreciate a good Sleight of Hand artist, but what I enjoy the most is a good and entertaining show. It is not how you do it, it is how you show it. Master Payne is as close to a role model as I have ever had. Watch, Listen and Learn from the true entertainers out there performing their craft.
-Iven 
Give the gift of Life, Be an Organ Donor.
|
Jesse Dains
New user
48 Posts
|
Posted: Jun 16, 2003 9:24am
Just in case you missed Ivan's point. It is worth repeating.
"it is ALL about presentation, it is ALL about presentation"
Taking an acting class it is far more important than the number of sleights you can perform.
..............Jesse
|
VampOfVegas
New user
Las Vegas, NV
56 Posts
|
Posted: Jun 16, 2003 9:40am
If you want to talk about small hands.. let's talk about Max Malini. He has some really small hands. When he palmed a card it was as if he was holding the cards a long way in his hand. But he still accomplished it due to great misdirection. So use misdirection to your advantage and try it out on your friends to see what works and what doesn't.
-=:Va(v)p:=-
|
David Diaz
New user
Caracas Venezuela
13 Posts
|
Posted: Jun 30, 2003 9:51pm
I have small hands too, and in the beginning II also thought that I couldn´t make some sleight (i.e. one-hand palming). But face your fears and practice a lot, you will master almost any technique if you want to, meanwhile MISDIRECTION.
Don´t feel bad if someone make a sleight in a few minutes and you can´t. it's not your hands. It is your mind and maybe in a few hours (months or even years) you will be able to do it too.
|
JesseMagic
Regular user
Oxnard, CA
124 Posts
|
Posted: Jul 1, 2003 2:56am
Build your skill level by learning easy sleights, after your confortable and confident with your ability move on to something else...and learn sleight that your going to use in a real setting or what ever the case is...hope I helped
Best wishes...
Jess 
|
daminfell
New user
VA
51 Posts
|
Posted: Jul 12, 2003 1:24am
I think using a lot of gaffs can get some good reactions but, to me, there is something different about performing effects that are clean and require some sleights, regardless of the difficulty. I like the feeling of knowing I worked for something and that not anyone can just pick it up and perform it...that it takes more practice than the average person is willing to put in.
..::damienfell::..
|
Frank Tougas
Inner circle
Minneapolis, MN
1712 Posts
|
Posted: Jul 12, 2003 3:50pm
I think too many up and coming magicians forget that magic was performed on the street long before the David Blaine Specials. He did a lot of great card tricks. Some of them involved tough sleights while others did not.
Don't believe that unless you do some fancy finger flinging you can't be a credible performer. That is just distorted thinking.
If you like sleight-of-hand with cards, keep working at it. Small hands or not you will discover things you can do that will be rewarding to learn and astounding to see.
Meanwhile, do the best magic you can do. Getting a crowd is only half the job. Keeping them is the other and that is done through a solid and entertaining performance.
In the end, the crowd won't care if your like the street magic they saw on T.V. - most of them won't have seen it anyway. They will be interested in a great performance.
May the tips come heavy.
Frank Tougas The Twin Cities Most "Kid Experienced" Children's Performer :"Creating Positive Memories...One Smile at a Time"
|
mesmer
Inner circle
1224 Posts
|
Posted: Jul 16, 2003 9:13pm
But you know what? mostly when you screwed a trick, one of your only outs usually is basic sleight-of-hand, ex: you had a screwy spectator who insisted on shuffling the deck,(hey you can palm off the chosen card)or many things!
You can improvise more if you know a wide arsenal of sleight-of-hand! So if you are not willing to put your time and comfort into practicing and rehearsing your material, maybe you should try stamp collecting!
Place your magic above comfort and rewards!
|
keven
Regular user
Apple Valley Ca
106 Posts
|
Posted: Jul 17, 2003 11:33pm
I would have to go with using self-working card tricks .
Try holding a deck in your hand every time you have your hands empty , and you have time to do it .
Im a barber and there are days were we sit all day long. I just bust out the cards and
mess with them in my down time  
Penn & Teller "God Bless Them"
|
crazyhands
New user
52 Posts
|
Posted: Aug 20, 2003 10:45pm
Ammar stated in one of his books, I believe The magic of Michael Ammar, "...a couple of controls, a good top and bottom palm, a sure fire double lift." Not exactly quoted but after I read that I started concentrating on my most powerful sleights with cards. And stopped trying to learn every single sleight out there. Just my .02 cents.
|
twistedace
Inner circle
philadelphia
2447 Posts
|
Posted: Aug 21, 2003 1:11pm
I agree, the only thing you need to know is a good dl, and only one dl that you do well, a top palm, at least 3 ways to contol a card to the top, just in case of suspicion, and I'd throw in a top change too. I think with these simple sleights you can do miracles.
|
| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Street Magic » » Lack of sleights |
|
|
| Go to page 1 ~ 2 (Next) |
![[8]](/forums/images/digits/8.gif)
![[1]](/forums/images/digits/1.gif)
![[7]](/forums/images/digits/7.gif)
![[5]](/forums/images/digits/5.gif)
![[4]](/forums/images/digits/4.gif)