How often do you practice and for how long.
I try to pull off an hour a day.

koan
p.s. this is my 50th post

I practice about every day, for maybe an hour. I like to do it in the evening.

I would say that one hour daily is the minimum if you are serious about improving your skills.

You can 'sneak' in 'practice' just about anytime.

Try keeping a coin or card palmed as you go about your daily routine. It will feel awkward at first but after awhile you will be amazed at how natural it feels. This translates into more confidence when performing and that means a better performance on the whole.

If you are trying to learn a new sleight, routine, or subtlety, be sure to practice with your full attention. (i.e. not while watching T.V. or listening to the stereo) You will make progress more quickly than if you practice casually.

Moves that you already know you can go ahead and do casually while you're doing something else (i.e. T.V., stereo, internet)

Bottom line is: do whatever gets you to achieve your goals the most quickly.

How often do you practice on family members and friends? I am new to magic and have already annoyed my wife by asking her to watch me perform my latest trick.

I usually spend several hours on focused practicing every day. I am lucky enough to have a lot of free time and I try to make sure it is well spent. I also try to get in some serious rehearsal time that is spent going through my effects/routines exactly as I would if I were performing them.

And I am almost always toying with a deck of cards or a few coins whenever I'm watching TV or something of the sort. I often walk around with a card or coin palmed to help keep these skills up to par.

I usually show my new material to my father since he knows a thing or two about magic (he has had an interest in it for a while, though not as seriously as me). But I try not to bother him too much, as I am sure he does get tired of it after a while.

I also show some of my new stuff to one of my friends. She is the perfect spectator for this type of thing; she grabs props off the table and out of my hands, and she is always brutally honest. This helps me hone my skills. I figure that if I can handle her, I can handle anybody!

To start with I would practice for 4-5 hours a day (yeah, I was unemployed). Now that the first flush of rabid enthusiasm has left me I find myself practicing for between an hour and two every day. On top of that, if you factor in the amount of time I spend watching TV whilst practicing the pass repeatedly and then posting on magic related internet forums, it's an awful lot higher

A great motivator for practice is getting together 3 or 4 times a month with some of your magic friends and just showing stuff to them. It's also a great way to practice too. Last week I learned Loryane's "Stop" trick and was very afraid to try it out in public, but I showed it to some friends with whom I meet regularly and developed great confidence in the handling and wording of the effect.

Since I am getting back into magic after a long vacation form the art, I practice 2 to 3 hours per night.

John

I'm not that serious, but I try to do at least half an hour a day. I also do it when waiting for a bus, ect. Just using a deck of cards mostly, as I always take them with me.

On average, I spend 3 hours a day on practice, and I keep a training journal to ensure I don't drop below 21 hours a week. Sometimes I do more or less, but because of the journal, I always know whether I am ahead of or behind my schedule, so I can take a day off or put in extra time as necessary.

During the weekend, when I don't have to work, I usually spend 5 to 6 hours on magic. Sometimes, even 8 or 9.

Well guys if you want to get better I suggest you focus on one move and practice for at least 8 hours a day for a week....

I perform mainly cabaret/club/stage.

I'll perform an hour a day on a certain effect in my act

If an upcoming show is near I'll change from practice to full rehearsal of entire act with no stops to music etc. Illusions I rehearse on their own!

In busy show time with more than 2-3 shows a week I'll have the one act and the shows are rehearsal in a sense so no work at home unless I'm unhappy with a move, etc.


Get to know your act back to front, from start to finish, and use only strong material that audiences like that you perform!

Surprisingly, small things like where to put your props after use and where and how you move on small/large stages, etc. are also very important to learn so don't forget these in your rehearsals, etc.

Good Luck!!

I do every free time of my day. I learned this tip from a good friend of mine.

Treat magic practice as a musician practices.

Daily, set a time schedule to practice, then use odd moments to hone and refine certain skills.

Musicians can't carry a piano around with them, but we can carry coins and cards at all times.

Cards and coins are the magician's American Express: Don't Leave Home Without Them.

Just follow the good advice given in the posts above.

Just Do It!

I use cards all day. The longest I usually go without using them is while sleeping or during a bit of a long lecture. Other than that, I am always just messing around with cards, and so I can't really count it as practice. I'd probably say about 3 hours a day of going through routines and/or coming up with some new stuff.

Tom