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Akil New user 53 Posts |
Hi guys I am in need of some advice, I am really trying to perform well but despite my practice I seem to lack the dexterity for a lot of sleight of hand tricks. As a result I work really hard at mastering things like patter, and misdirection. Are there effects that are less involved in terms of dexterity that I can research and practice? Also are there techniques I can practice to get better results? Thanks in advance!
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rmann New user Milton VT and a forum newbie with only 96 Posts |
It might help to know what area you have been concentrating upon. Coins? Cards? Sponge balls? Silks? Something else? Some sleight of hand techniques certainly overlap, but others may be specific to a single genre. I'm probably not the best person to answer your question, but others may be able to help you if they know more about what you are trying to do.
Ray
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Pastor Ray Mann Champlain Valley Church of the Nazarene St. Albans, VT (USA) "...to Him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever." Ps 136:4 |
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mlippo Inner circle Trieste (Italy) 1227 Posts |
You're not specifying what kind of magic you perform. Knowing this could be helpful in giving you advice.
If you perform card magic, for example, there are a great number of GOOD self-workiing tricks or effects which require some basic sleights. These would be a good start until you learn more advanced sleights. If you perfom rope magic, there are good effects which require little practice. Coin magic or cups and balls require a good amount of practice even for basic stuff. What are you looking for exactly? mlippo |
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Akil New user 53 Posts |
First off I would like to thank you both for your posts, I have been mostly struggling with coins and sponge balls, I have found a few good effects with cards that are less involved but I am more concerned with coins and balls.
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Jaz Inner circle NJ, U.S. 6111 Posts |
J.B. Bobo's 'Modern Coin Magic' is a good starting place.
L & L Publishing's 'World’s Greatest Magic DVD Series' has videos on Sponge balls, cups and balls, etc. |
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AGMagic Special user Cailf. 775 Posts |
Keep it simple and use gaffs if you need to. Knuckle busting moves impress other magicians but the general public doesn't know or really care how you accomplished your miracle if you did it right and they are entertained. Keep practicing the more difficult moves and add them in when you are ready. depending on the move and your devotion it could be days, weeks, months or even years before a slight is ready to present in a routine.
Tim Silver - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Magic-Woodshop/122578214436546
I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. Visualize Whirled Peas! |
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Aus Special user Australia 996 Posts |
Akil
One piece of advice I would like to give to you if you choose to take the less cumbersome path in magic in the dexterity stakes is not to be complacent. I feel that well not all people have a natural disposition for slights I feel the pros and cons on either side are important enough to mention to you so you don’t fall into some common traps that I see. One of the most common is over familiarity with an effect, just because an effect is not technically demanding a sense of “going through the motions” can develop and resonate through your performance and lessen the overall impact of the effect you’re performing. This manifests it’s self in ways such as rushing through moments that could build dramatic tension or failing to highlight important conditions etc. Each and every performance should be performed as if this was your first time performing it, because for your audience this is very much the case as far as their concerned. Since you have the luxury of not focusing as diligently on mechanics as you would in more slight heavy situations your focus should turn to a more presentational focus after mechanics. Depending on how serious you won’t to take your magic you can go into the nitty gritty of scripting and editing your presentations and cutting away unnecessary filler to establishing an premise or simply nothing deeper than a story that narrates just what it is you’re doing. How far you choose to go down this road really comes down to your own dedication to magic. I know this isn’t the advice you asked for Akil but with the magic marketing Culture that boasts things like, “Self-working”, “Makes you the star of the show,” “No slights required” and all the other marketing hype seems to harbour the mentality that you can look as good as the next best thing without any effort required, the last thing I won’t in magic is another cookie cutter magician. Magically Aus |
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hestonsmagic New user McMinnville, OR 92 Posts |
When I started out I had similar issues... I still don't do sponge balls as of today... However for coin magic, I started out with Lethal Tender, then went to Scotch and Soda... Both very basic but helped me build confidence... I then invested in Palming coins as I could grip them better... Once comfortable with those started to switch it up... I found props also helped ... A coin tray or stand as well...
Those were my steps but ultimately nothing works better then practice... These were my starts... Good luck |
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Tryllejakob New user Denmark 51 Posts |
Hi Akil
Try using thumb palm and fingerpalm in place of classic palm it speeds up the learning a lot. Also try to pratice the tricks without the coins/sponge balls so you are miming the routine, it will give you much more flow and a more natural performace. When you have a moment think about your performance routine, patter, slights ect. What I mean is performing the routine in your mind gives a lot of confidence in the performance. |
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The Amazing Pog Veteran user 372 Posts |
Hi. How long have you been working on the moves? Sleights are really hard, and as a beginner I know how easy it is to become discouraged. But I guess that's the discipline of becoming a magi. I have a range of good, strong, comfortable self-working tricks (cards mostly, and some rope and household items) that I use to build confidence and develop my patter/presentation etc. But at the same time as performing those tricks I'm always working on the sleights and flourishes and stuff. It may take time, but I'm confident that it is just a matter of practice. Don't give up! It may sound trite, but one of the best peices of advice I ever heard came from Finding Nemo: "Jus keep swimming, swimming ..."
Use self-workers as confdence boosters, but still keep working on those moves. I recently got Oz Pearlman's Born to Perform Card Magic DVD, and Mark Wilson's Complete Course book - both seem great for beginners with lots of stuff to get working on. There's lots of easy material for kids at Julian Mathers Magician School website. Keep practicing
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
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satellite23 Elite user 424 Posts |
Start off with Bill Tarr's book, "101 Easy-to-Do Magic Tricks".
This book was EXTREMELY helpful for me when I started in magic, and I consider it a must-have for any beginner. There are a few sleights in there, but most of the stuff is pretty self-working. Furthermore, the book introduces you to a lot of concepts like linking rings, cards, coins, loads, chinese rice bowls, and other good tricks. The book explains step-by-step and with pics how to do certain things, and gives you patter tips along the way. Just pick up the book. You'l like it. |
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Wes65 Inner circle I've said very little in 1219 Posts |
A lot of good advice here. It takes time to master this art. By spending time mastering patter and misdirection you are doing well. Good performance skills will take you farther than you think. As a matter of fact those skill can mask other deficiencies while you develop skills.
Also, it will do you little good to learn a ton of sleights you are not using. Learn a couple effects that use a few simple sleights, learn to do them well and make an entertaining effect out of them.
Wes
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bowers Inner circle Oakboro N.C. 7024 Posts |
Practice practice practice
and then practice some more. you will get there sooner than you think.in the meantime continue with your patter and presentation these are equaly important also. especially for parlor and stage performences. |
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Atom3339 Inner circle Spokane, WA 3242 Posts |
And more practice.
TH
Occupy Your Dream |
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Akil New user 53 Posts |
Thank you all very much for your insight I have been studying some new material and my dexterity is starting to get better!
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The Amazing Pog Veteran user 372 Posts |
I'm glad to hear your dexterity is improving. I think mine is also! Just keep at it.
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
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craig1985 New user united kingdom 8 Posts |
J.B Bobo's book is an excellent resource for this if you follow it from front to back.
It is important not to try and perfect the harder sleights first. Start off with the simpler ones whether you are planning on using them or not. This way the harder ones will become much easier to master. |
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Vu Nguyen New user 26 Posts |
As a fellow beginner, I feel your pain. But absolutely NOTHING compares being able to pull off the sleight during a performance flawlessly.
The practice makes it worth it. |
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djurmann Inner circle thinks time to practice and stop writing 1481 Posts |
Plus I would add that coin sleights are HARD! A classic palm will take a long time to learn. You could learn to force a card however in an afternoon.
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Akil New user 53 Posts |
Yes, I agree, I am still having trouble with manipulating the coins.
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