Hey,

I have a problem while I practice and its having instant gratification. I want to get things down in like a few weeks, and I noticed with my riffle shuffle, it is not happening. I have problems with letting the cards riffle one by one. I get to a point I get so frustrated I have to quit.

It sucks growing up in an era of instant outcomes. What do you suggest to get over this so I can have longer practices and if you could some pointers on the riffle shuffle.

Hmm...so the problem is you want instant gratification? Interesting. Well I don't believe that good magic offers instant gratification, but your practice will be worth it once you get great reactions.

I suggest you make it a habit to practice magic for a certain a day everyday or at least try everyday. I do before I go to sleep. I try to get in well over an hour, but some nights that doesn't happen.

You can try getting instant gratification by performing before you're ready but I don't suggest that. I did this and it was quite the disaster at times.

As for riffle shuffles....I've never thought about PERFECTING a riffle shuffle. I think you need a decent one and no laymen will be the wiser, with that said however just keep practicing.

Sorry, but the riffle shuffle is one of those things that, after the basics, you really can't teach anymore. The pressure needed will come with practice.

Instant gratification? Haven't you had a hobby before magic? Even watching movies ain't exactly instant.

You really have no choice. Either change your expectation of how long it takes to become good at a skill like magic, or reduce your goals to a minimum you can achieve in the time that will seem gratifying, or quit.

Part of the problem is that despite modern philosophical tendencies the simple desiring of a thing will NOT bring the thing into being. Desire, plus action, plus time generally equals success. The greater the time and the greater the focus, generally will equal greater success. All of this assumes an amount of native talent equal to the desire.

Stick with it and set your basic goals farther out. Good luck,

You could try lowering the bar of your goal so in essence you have a series of mini goals as you work on a move. In the end you are striving toward the same end but the mini goals may let you feel that sense of accomplishment more often to keep you motivated to reach that end.

Lowering my bar might be a good start. I just know that like practicing for a month, and feeling like I got nowhere is very frustrating. However, I might have gotten somewhere just have not realized it. I think everyone gets frustrated naturally too. Everything does take practice. It may not be the idea of instant gratification. Mainly, its probably frustration taking over.

Whether you realize it or not, you have gotten somewhere. The fact that you have practiced for a month means that you are persevering. So, don't give up. Take a break and work on something else if your riffle shuffle is frustrating you. Every-
thing in life is not easy come. You will notice as time wears on that certain sleights come easier and with some, the learning curve is higher. Keep a stiff upper chin and don't give in to frustration...take a break.
Cardamagically,
<<<KRaZy4KaRdZ>>>

"a stiff upper chin"?

I feel if you're doing magic right, it won't be instant. I'm also a fan of instant gratification. But after years of doing magic, I wouldn't even think of performing a "self working effect" without three weeks of preparation.

As you build muscles in your fingers, new sleights will become easier. But some great moves can take up to a year to do well.

PBiddy412,

ilusionista is right on the money! As my psyche prof told us "Better to achieve smaller goals before attempting larger ones, especially if the smaller goals will bennifit your ultimate goal". Of course I am a bit of a comic so my response was "So I should conquer small countries before going after the big ones huh?"

I myself have wanted to get back into magic for a while. Instead of diving in, I picked "Cards" as my starting point. I was lent a copy of Card College and started reading... Usefull, but not the best place for me to start as I first needed to pick a simple goal... I was given a video with "Twisting the Aces" on it to try and start me out on 1 effect (actually 2, the Elmsly and a Tripple Lift,) and I used Card College to get that effect down so that I had something to practice. I have got that down (still in practice mode to clean up my TL,) and I am going to look at Dr. Daley's Last Trick as the next step... Once I have that down then I keep practacing both Twisting and Daley's and I will pull in another one... Probably try and stick to a few only to start, depending on how difficult I find the moves.

True, take a break, I'll echo that advice. Do some silk or coin work for awhile. My riffle was all over the place until I watched Sal Piacente's DVD's.

If what you want is a perfect interleaving of the cards, you may be better off trying to learn the faro shuffle. Done correctly, it is an incredible feat to perform.

As for practice, everyone else is right. I have managed, with practice, to learn the riffle shuffle, the riffle shuffle without a table, the "bridge" or "waterfall" and am starting work on the faro shuffle. All within a few weeks. The hardest for me was the riffle w/o table. Never thought I would ever learn it and amazed myself!

I think your practicing too long. Not magic, but just one effect.

As an example, when I was learning to juggle, the balls were going all over the room and I was really frustrated. I was spending a lot of time practicing and it was not getting any better. I then read about practicing for about 5 or 10 minutes and then stopping, going away to do something else, and then go back and practice for another 5 or 10 minutes.

Guess what? It worked. And fast! I was juggling in no time. Not the advanced stuff, but the 3 ball, basic, cascade! There was something about the break that caused me to analyze what was going on (or not) and I was able to work it out before the frustration set it again.

I think if you break down your practice sessions to shorter segments per effect or move, and I'm NOT saying 5 or 10 minutes is all that is needed by any means, you're achievements will increase and you'll get better.

Hang in there. You will get better. It might take a little more time, but hey...that's OK...all you have is time. Now...where'd that ball go...dropped it again. Darn, and after all that practice!

Mark.