For the fledgling magus out there that, like myself, decided to begin working at this art from the coin perspective I have a very important tip to share that I would like to share.Handling coins takes patience, practice, lots of focus, and a delicate and nimble pair of hands. Gentle does it with all of those addicting vanishings and productions. They are cool as hell. You will sweat for this branch of the art, this stuff is not easy.


I am learning, just like you, and like me, you will quickly find out that treating the coins, gestures, and the move with a light touch will give you the results you want. I was struggling really hard during practice time and when I got really tired and started to slack off, to my amazement, the moves looked better, the vanishings, etc etc looked very natural. So I figured that coins would be akin to playing the piano. Is the light touch most of the time, although strong chords are struck for effect. Does it make sense?

I remember my knuckles where white from trying to hold a palming. That shouldn't happen. It should look natural, and gentle.
Respects,
Shamsiel

**(Im not a pro. Have been doing this for a few months in my room and I can say that I am finally getting a better with practie. But since Im not Marion, or Eric Jones, Or Bobo...take everything I say with a grain of salt. Fair?)

Coin magic is great becuase you can do it anywhere. I love all lkinds of magic but I just don't think my hand is built for coin magic. I am currently working on card magic but you do have a fair point. Well said.

Actually Bobo wasn't much of a coin magician, he just wrote a book of the collected moves of the day. He mostly did school shows.

I didn't know that Father Photius. Interesting.

really? you blew my mind.

Shamsiel, you are right on the money. The more relaxed your hands are the smoother. I have copied the below URL from You Tube. It is an interview with Ponta The Smith. Ponta is very smooth and his magic is excellent.

At the 7:40 mark of the interview he addresses just what you are talking about. Take a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptAI9KSf3Iw

Mark

Awesome, thank you.
Respects,
Shamsiel

As an absolute beginner with coins, I really appreciate advice like this. Thank you : )

Thanks for your advice, Shamsiel

What you say makes sense to me, as a psychologist. When we act more relaxed and complacent, the brain circuits that evoke conscious deliberation are inhibited. So, your behavior is more dependent on entrenched skills rather than intervening thoughts. The skills will appear more seamless.

And I believe perform coin magic is improve misdirection, acting, and mental or emotional..

so I believe it's also important thing to begin with..

cheers

Great advice. I just started learning coin magic and it often still looks like I'm an arthritic robot (cramped hand doing step 1, cramped hand doing step 2, etc), but realized that things looked much better when I was sitting at a Café, killing some time by practising some moves rather absentmindedly.

Cheers,
Mark

Yes a c/p coin should be there so that a light release or tap will make it fall.
Tight enough so that one could say do a coin roll with the same hand.

Seeing Goshman back in the mid 70's hooked me on coins and putting me into my magic.
Back then I knew next to nothing about coin magic.
These days I know even less.

There are many things similar in magic and music. (in practice, rehearsal, mentors and sharing in live performances)

Now and zen I get it right.

Harris
with palms of aluminum foil..for a lighter touch in coin magic
a nearly normal reader and righter
http://magician.org/member/dcotoroflaughology

When I started to learn to palm, one of the first things I did was to carry quarters around with me all day.

I'd place one in each hand for an hour or two and attempt to perform as though the coins were *not* in my hands. If you train your hands enough, it becomes reflexive and the body will naturally react.

Learning to relax is tough. Just remember that the audience has no idea there's anything in your hand unless you show it to them.

I love coins. You can do so much impromptu. Just about everywhere you go someone will have coins. Shamsiel you have hit on something early and I encourage you to remember it well. Many people take a long time to learn this. There are some more advance things that will require a different touch, but many things are like you say a light touch, a smooth gesture, are important to keeping everything looking relaxed and natural.

Great advice Shamsiel.

I was (and still am but less) having problems with coin noise. I got some great advice here:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......tart=0#8

(soft coins are coins which have been flattened somewhat either with sandpaper or use)

Handling coins with a light touch is something that needs to be noted not once, but many times. I frequently find I'm CPing with much too much force and have to consciously release the pressure. Each time I remind myself that I don't need to work so hard though it's a little longer until the next time I have to do it so I think I'm very slowly making progress.

Mark

Coin magic is some of the most difficult and rewarding kinds of magic you can do. It takes practice but it pays off. I love it. You can go to "Nothing Up My Sleeve" and engage with those who devote their hours to it talk about their struggles and victories. It's a great forum.

Keep practicing. It's worth it. One piece of advice I found is to practice without the moves. Hold the coin. Do the pass and take the coin. Watch how your hands look in their natural state. That will help you in practice.

As a side note, many years ago I saw a lecture with Bobo. He could do just about everything in his book. I was younger and maybe more naive, but as I remember it, he looked great doing coin magic.