I will just mention that the Dusheck book, while good, is about different(often *very* different!) ways to hack your TT to bits in order to create a particular effect, rather than using the TT as a utility device. The Gary Darwin DVD set is excellent. Once you've mastered the basic moves, you might consider looking at Salvano's TT technique - I discovered this while watching Losander's "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" DVD - Losander credits Salvano as his mentor.

Just remember; a TT only fits over the first joint, not completely over your thumb.

I've posted this before, but it bears repeating for TT's especially, but other things 'magic' as well. That is, that a TT is ALWAYS seen, but NOT perceived. A TT works in the same manner as camo. You 'see' it, but you perceive it other than what it actually is: Lot's of netting and pieces of colored clothe!

Consider also the lowly rag on the road. No matter how many times it happens...every time you see the rag in the distance you think 'dead animal'. Our minds fill in the gaps and see what is expected. NO ONE expects ANYONE SANE to have a fake 'T' on the end of our large opposable digit. Thus the mind simply sees the finger as normal no matter that the gaff is in plain sight. Many have proven that to a great extent even color is not that crucial.

TT's are fascinating. The biggest thing the beginner can remember is this: Forget that there is anything there! Do NOT act as if you have a gaff on. The biggest giveaway to someone knowledgeable in the use of a TT is the body language of the person using it and not the actual presence of the gaff itself. Folks twist their hands in odd ways and stand in odd ways, etc.

The more fearful you are of being discovered the more likely the event. Best,

Well I've ordered some silks and a TT and a little book on TT tricks so I'll be posting in the future on the success of those, which from the interesting comments posted so far should be good. Isn't magic great? There's that great psychological aspect of it, just like Brad Burt was talking about. People don't expect you to <insert comment>. They don't expect gaffed cards or palmed cards or gaffed coins or fake thumbs or coins in your hands when there should be any there. It makes sense, we can't walk around living life suspicious of everything. So we piece data together in the most sensible way, to the advantage of magicians. Thanks for the great comments everyone.

Kevin

Did you manage to feel your wife's temperature with a coin in your hand? Was she feverish? How is she now??

Well she had me compare the temperature there with the back of her neck and unless there's anything significant I always tell her to suck it up anyway. She's fine, she's just had one of those nagging achy sniffly things that go around. Nothing serious. Thanks for the concern, rjenkins.

Kevin

Hey kevin, how long have you been doing magic? I'm still really kinda new and I feel the same exact way when I try and perform an effect for my fiance. like I showed her the preview for greed on penguinmagic.com and she was like "oh my God! baby you should learn how to do that"...so I bought the dvd and built the gimmic and wat not. well being the idiot I am, I tried to perform it for her the day after I bought it. she didn't even have to see it twice before she figured out wat I did...is it that I suck at magic, or that I'm not giving myself enough time to learn it? how long should I practice an effect before I perform it for someone?

Spidey,

There's a lot of things going against you in the situation you described.

1. You're performing magic (an unnatural act) for someone that knows you very well (fiance). She is almost certain to spot the moment where you do something other than what you would normally do.
2. Same-day performance of a new effect is 99.9% certain to be way too soon. You should practice until you can do the moves without even thinking about them. That way when you do them, they FEEL natural, so the way you do them will LOOK more natural.
3. Magic requires more than just learning the moves to the point of #2 above. The rest of the package is the presentation, the misdirection (or as I like to think of it: attention DIRECTION) and the motivation. Make sure your patter is spot-on and that the words you say and the body language you use focus the energy where you want the spectators to look (away from the sneaky move). Finally, when you present the trick, is it a puzzle for your audience to try to figure out? If it is, they'll surely try. If you make a magical moment, they won't care about how you did it, they'll just enjoy being amazed at what a wonderful magician you are!

Spidey,

Of course BerkleyJL is right, but I'll offer my thoughts as a newb. I started in magic this past July. A buddy of mine went to the library one day and brought home one of Tony Hassini's videos on magic. We were amazed. Cutting through the details, here I am, and I know what you mean about screwing up a trick. Fortunately my buddy and I did most of our screwing up on free internet tricks that were either self working or required little sleight. Since then I take a lot of time before I show anyone anything.

Do you live near a magic club? I just found a ring of the IBM near where I live and I'm psyched. I've joined and can't wait until the first meeting. There's a setting where you can try stuff out and other magic folks can give you constructive criticism so you can hone your tricks for your friends and family.

Kevin

Yeah actually there is. I live about 20 min from indianapolis. I have already joined the fellowship of Christian magicians. my manager at work doesn't do magic but he collects it. he has been in the ibm for like 34 years or something like that. but he said he is gonna take me to a lecture some day next month and help me join. I'm pretty excited lol. hey guys thanks for the advice anyhow. I just get too excited about a trick and can never wait to see those reactions. thanks again.

Spidey,

Another thing you can do is to keep learning self-working tricks or quasi-self-working tricks. I find these useful for two reasons both of them having to do with my nerves. If I'm performing a couple tricks to someone and I'm getting too nervous I might "take a break" with a self-working trick. This way I can just worry about patter and such and know that as long as I perform well the trick will take care of itself. Another good reason to learn some self-working tricks is so you will have the courage to present something. Just today I presented my wife with a self working trick card trick because I was getting too wrapped up in my nerves. It felt good to perform something for her and she was baffled. Its a simple trick too, but the effect was still "huh? How'd you do that?" It made me feel good and encouraged me to work on another trick to try on her. It helps break the ice.

Also a self working trick is a good trick to show a quasi-stranger (if they want to see a trick). The nervous-ness of screwing up is somewhat reduced because you know the trick (the technical aspect anyway) will definitely work, all you have to do is chit chat and make it special.

Just some thoughts,

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I had a love/hate relationship with TTs for years. Now I'm back to love. In Cellini's Art of Street Performing, vol 1, he shows a great sequence with a TT, a 6" red silk, and a 6" white silk. I was coming off a performance once, and was having lunch at a restaurant. It is obvious from my costume that I am a magician. A little girl at another table was staring and pointing. I was able to perform the sequence for the kid halfway across the room while still seated. It doesn't require speech, and it's easy enough for a kid to follow. She was delighted. This isn't my usual style, but it's nice to have something for an emergency! I use a Vernet TT, $3 from Hank Lee or just about anyone else.

I hope we'll see you at our Ring meeting in January!

http://www.ibmring362.org/

Yours,

Paul

All great stories about using the TT. Thanks for sharing.

Now...I need to get mine back out and really practice using it this time. If only I could get to a comfortable point where I don't feel like something is sticking out like "a sore thumb!"

Mark.

Dr. Wilson,

Oh you will. I've sent in my application to the IBM today and I'm counting down the days until the January meeting. Thanks for the copy of the newsletter, it was nicely done and a good read. Who would have thought I would be so lucky as to have a ring of the IBM in my backyard?

Cheers,

Kevin