|
|
Go to page [Previous] 1~2 | ||||||||||
RobertlewisIR Veteran user Colorado 367 Posts |
Quote:
I think that's a very good start. Especially if you're sticking primarily with card work you'll probably want a force and a card control sooner rather than later. There are a lot of options for both, and the resources that have been suggested above will serve you well. My personal advice would be to learn one of any number of ways to control a card to the top of the deck (start with one that looks fairly easy) and though I think the Classic Force is superior, I'd learn a Riffle Force first, just so you don't get discouraged while you're practicing. In time, if you stick with it, you'll learn many (read: hundreds) of other techniques, but what you already have, along with a control and a force, will likely be the backbone for a lot of what you'll want to do. Quote:
There can be little differences in the "feel" of the cards from brand to brand. In reality, it doesn't much matter, as long as you're comfortable doing the sleights you want to do. There are two reasons Bicycle is popular among magicians, though. One, they're a very recognizable deck of cards, so people are (presumably) less likely to suspect a trick deck. Two, paradoxically, many trick decks and card gimmicks are now printed on Bicycle stock. So if you're interested in gimmicks, I'd use Bikes. If you want to stick to pure sleight of hand, it doesn't really matter very much as long as you don't go for the really cheapo cards with a cheap plastic coating. Quote:
In my personal experience, I wish I would have spent more time early on practicing some of the sleights of diverse utility: classic force, pass, etc. I believe strongly that a good way to learn is to start with some easy stuff so you have things you can actually perform relatively quickly (still don't neglect to practice) rather than jumping straight to the hardest things and getting discouraged. But once you've got a little set of things you can do, then it's time to invest the hours, days, weeks, months it will take to start mastering difficult things. Outside of a few "classic" sleights that show up all the time (double lift, force, pass), though, I think it's more productive to learn moves when you need them for a trick rather than to just learn a move for its own sake and have to search for tricks that can use it. Others have the opposite approach, but I've always approached my magic from the idea first, the effect second, and the method last. As for how much time to practice? Varies. A piano teacher once told me that a good pianist practices an hour every day, while the virtuoso practices twelve hours every day. THere's some truth to that. The better you want to be, the more you want to practice. However, Malcolm Gladwell was just wrong: it doesn't take ten thousand hours to learn a new skill. It may take ten thousand hours to become a top professional in a highly competitive field, but a better rule of thumb is that you can achieve basic competency in something after about twenty hours of practice. The schedule for that can vary. My schedule is quite cyclical, so there are times (and were times when I was first learning, as well) when I could practice several hours every day, and then there were seasons when I'd be lucky to get in fifteen minutes most days. I think it's less important to pick a number of hours per day as "correct" and more important to choose the number of hours a day you can CONSISTENTLY practice. Consistency is more important. If a move takes twenty hours to master, it'll probably take twenty hours whether you do two ten-hour days or twenty one-hour days or forty thirty-minute days. But what you don't want to do is cram one day and then not do anything for the next couple of weeks. That's a good way to lose a lot of the learning you did. Pick a time you can work consistently at least every other day and preferably every day.
~Bob
---------- Last night, I dreamed I ate the world's largest marshmallow. When I woke up, the pillow was gone. |
|||||||||
jakeg Inner circle 1741 Posts |
I always thought that the best way to learn any slights depended on what you needed for the specific routine that you are working on.
|
|||||||||
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
I agree with you Jack, although I do not consider myself a cardician. Enabling one to perform any trick (card, coin, rope, silk, etc.) is the greatest motivator.
A flourish is its own reward! But, an Elmsley or a Zarrow "needs" a routine!!!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
|
|||||||||
RobertlewisIR Veteran user Colorado 367 Posts |
I agree 95%. In general, I've never wanted to learn just a move. I've wanted to learn routines and I've learned the moves as part of that process. However, I do think that there are a few sleights (DL, control, force) that are so fundamental to so much of card magic that they're worth learning simply as part of an education in card magic. The routines that use them are many, but even if you don't have a specific routine in mind (yet), they're worth learning just as part of learning to use your instrument (in this case, a deck of cards). I think of it as akin to a beginning musician learning his or her scales.
~Bob
---------- Last night, I dreamed I ate the world's largest marshmallow. When I woke up, the pillow was gone. |
|||||||||
SamChak Elite user 478 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 6, 2016, Foleylantz wrote: Check these three innovative CONTROLS by VanBien. These sleights are easy to execute and as visually deceptive as the James/Ellis Loading move. So they are perfect for beginners as well as any card worker. http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/7384 |
|||||||||
mrbuffoonery New user 2 Posts |
I will have to say that Card College is something I wish I had a lot earlier. I, however, started with Royal Road to Card Magic. It is a very good book, and is a cheaper alternative.
If I was going to learn just some core techniques, I would suggest adding in a control as others have stated. I would suggest the overhand as this is the most natural shuffle (in the states at least) and one of the easier ones. I mostly practiced by controlling a card from the bottom to top, and then added more cards to control as my skills grew. Though more difficult, the pass is practically a must in card magic. It will take some time to learn, but it is well worth it. You can also work on the classical force. It is very difficult, but easy to practice. Anytime that you do not need to force a card, force a card with the classical force. Then when you are confident you can start using it for real. Some false cuts are good to throw in. There are some very deceptive, and simple, cuts in both books I mentioned. I am constantly practicing. A deck of cards are always in my pocket/bag, and I occasionally carry some coins. I take them out anytime I am sitting, or waiting. The amount of time I practiced grew as time passed. If you do end up practicing any time you are waiting around, it is still important to check that you are doing things correctly using a mirror. As for cards. I typically buy in bulk and online. I grew up using both Bee and Bicycle, and more recently Phoenix. Really, the important part is choosing what feels good to you. If you are going through cards regularly then you do need to buy in bulk, but the brand is up to you. |
|||||||||
SamChak Elite user 478 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 15, 2016, mrbuffoonery wrote: The Pass is commonly used in gambling demo as well as memorized deck routine to undo the cut by the spectator. Because most card effects do not require the transfer of a chunk of cards, single-card controls are usually sufficient. However, some card effects just look "elegant" with the Herrmann Pass. |
|||||||||
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
I vividly remember the late Faucett Ross, and his DIAGONAL PALM SHIFT!
We were having a session, and I remembered that he was known for his excellent handling. I asked him to do it. He had the deck in his hands. I said, 'Please Faucett!" He replied, "I just did!" Max Malini used the pass. There wasn't any "Invisible Pass" in those days. It needed misdirection! Someone asked him: "Max! If they're watching your hands, what do you do?" Max replied: "I vait." "How long do you wait?" "Until they aren't watching my hands!" --He would tell an amusing story or a joke. Laughter provides great misdirection~ Of course, many magicians used the 'cockroach pass"! --THAT WAS GREAT MISDIRECTION!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
|
|||||||||
SvenSigma Regular user Germany 151 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 6, 2016, Foleylantz wrote: Roberto Giobbi has a concept called Card Katas. Derived from martial arts, such a kata is a sequence of moves and sleights that are performed after each other. This is a good way to avoid boredom and bring structure and meaning to exercises. One could consider Ambitious Card Routines as a type of "presentable" Kata. Besides that, you can get inspiration from other sports and do "circuit training." For warm-up I often do 4 thumb fans 8 Faros 4 thumb fans 10 right handed Charlier Cuts 10 left handed CC 10 double lifts 10 classic passes I am not a slave of these numbers (except the Faros being always multiples of 8) or the order and moves involved. Of course you would need to find your own "circuits."
It takes a baby in the belly six months to learn how to put the thumb in the mouth.
The rest of life is essentially the same problem. |
|||||||||
Driften New user 12 Posts |
Quote:
On Jul 29, 2016, Doug Trouten wrote: I bought Born to Perform Card Magic and so far its good. He really starts out with the basics I need in card handling but its going to be a bit of practice before I can properly hand double lifts and culls. |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » New to magic? » » Starting out, a few questions (9 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page [Previous] 1~2 |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.04 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |