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Aurelius New user Oshawa, Ont. Canada 14 Posts |
What are the most common beginner mistakes...
in learning new tricks, in choosing books/dvd's in practicing, in first performances? I know this sounds like a large topic but a beginner would have to face all these issues. Thank for your advice. |
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Ollie1235 Special user England 533 Posts |
In learning new tricks....
1. learning the sleights and moves but not the presentation 2.performing the effect before they've mastered it 3. learning tricks /sleights wrongly and starting bad habits in choosing new books/dvds..... 1.not taking advice from more advanced magicians on what to buy 2.buying more than your gonna use in practising.... 1.practising sleights that they are never gonnna use 2.notpaying attention to practisin the presentation of the trick in first performances.... 1. not routining properly eg. the tricks don't connect together 2.getting nervous (although that cant be completely stopped) ive gotta say I made a fair few of the mistakes I just said ollie |
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Erion New user Sweden 12 Posts |
A misstake I did resently, was to see a trick and thinking it was awasome and buying it, just to find out that the trick can't be changed to my way of presenting magic. In other words I didn't think before buying.
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kregg Inner circle 1950 Posts |
The biggest mistake is the lack of patience. We've all been there, but, knowing a move doesn't mean that you've mastered it. The best place to show a new or developing move is in front of other magician's... not during a show or a competition.
For some performer's the one thing that occurs, but, seldom in rehearsals (if at all), are sweaty hands. After all, who's nervous when learning a new move?
POOF!
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adamjames Loyal user England 205 Posts |
A common mistake in learning new tricks is trying to learn too many new tricks.
Being able to do a couple of tricks well is better than being able to do a hundred badly. Adam |
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ivan7 Regular user 146 Posts |
The biggest mistake is poor presentation, and it isn't just a problem with new magicians, but the majority of them.
The biggest mistake magicians make is in thinking magic is easy to present. They end up having poor presentations which are seen as puzzles or tricks. They don't properly script their effects, don't properly practice, there routines have no flow, make no sense, are incongruent, etc. They aren't entertaining and ruin peoples' perception of magic. Hence magic is relegated to the lowly realm of something for the children. |
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deerbourne Regular user Centennial, CO 174 Posts |
Buying sprees. Think through all your purchases. Do searches on the Café to find out what other people think and recommend. Write down a wish list and keep it near the computer and update it when you see stuff that is interesting or recomended. When you find a few dollars burning a hole in your pocket, go back to the list first, not to the last thing you heard about.
You'll be a lot happier with what you add to your collection. Deerbourne |
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rcad Loyal user St-Eustache 211 Posts |
Very good advice so far.
If I may add something, don't "force" magic onto people... Let your audience come to you, especially friends and family who are too often dayly guinea pigs for unexperienced magicians... They'll get sick of it. Set a goal for yourself (a performance for a party reunion for example), WRITE your show, practice it, rehearse it, take a deep breath and have fun! Richard
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious." Albert Einstein
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Matt Bartz Loyal user Gilbert, Arizona 251 Posts |
Wow- Some outstanding advice for beginners on this thread.
I whole heartedly agree with that Ivan7 said about the performance. The mechanics of the slights are important and should be nearly flawless, but if you don't work out a dialogue and a rhythm, building to highs and leading the spectator along you aren't really performing magic, you're just showing them what you can do with you fingers. The spectator must be psychologically trapped in a box and left with no way to justify what he has just seen other than to believe in magic. In short, don't waste time learning a million slights and hundreds of tricks. Pick a few tricks that hit hard, learn the moves for each trick, one at a time. Once you have the moves for a particular trick worked out to the point where your muscles have memorized them and you don't have to think about them or look at your hands...they just happen automatically, then work on the performance. Really dedicate serious time and refinement to the performance. The performance is what will give your magic the element of wonder and awe. ("Our Magic" by Maskelyne and Devant, and "Showmanship for Magicians" by Fitzke or his entire trilogy are good resources for understanding the psychology behind the performance and how to make the mechanics magical) Practice the one liners, the misdirections, everything...then put it all together and practice it everywhere you go...with friends, at work, in line at the movies, etc...until you really understand the trick. Once you've got that one down, move on to the next trick on the list. And repeat. Then start tying them together with a common theme and creating a routine. Also develop this around your persona. The whole thing takes time, effort, and patience but is worth it if you really want to amaze people and not just look like a guy with quick fingers. |
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Rob Johnston Inner circle Utah 2060 Posts |
Vocal problems occur with the beginner performer. He/she stutters, repeats, stalls, says things that makes NO sense, etc.
I know this because I was guilty of it...but it passes with time and experience.
"Genius is another word for magic, and the whole point of magic is that it is inexplicable." - Margot Fonteyn
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Clifford the Red Inner circle LA, California 1941 Posts |
Very, VERY good advice so far.
Vocal problems and speech are issues that can be solved with some education and practice. To really hone your speaking abilities I highly recommend joining your local Toastmasters for a while. For a nominal fee you will get to practice and get FANTASTIC feedback on your public speaking. This helps you actually notice all the annoying tics and sounds you make unconsciously and to take steps to correct them.
"The universe is full of magical things, waiting for our wits to grow sharper." Eden Philpotts
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King Of Pop Veteran user Estonia 392 Posts |
Ease off! This is very important. Start learning your next trick after you totally have learned the current one So don't try to learn them all together, just learn them step by step
God Bless You, I Love You From The Bottom Of My Heart
God Bless You, I Love You From The Bottom Of My Heart
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Jeff Hayden New user 88 Posts |
...Continuing to buy and accumulate (collect) magic tricks instead of getting out and performing them.
It's one thing to wait until you are good enough, but I find a lot of people seem to keep buying the next illusion instead of getting out and doing them. So when should you get started performing an illusion? If you are a beginner, as soon as you can do it without exposing the secret. Yes presentation is important, but you can't perfect it until you go in front of others. -JH
Did you see that?
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Reis O'Brien Inner circle Seattle, WA 2467 Posts |
My biggest mistake I made when first starting out was that I became far too interested in gaffs and gimmicks. In fact, that's what I thought "made the magic". Granted, it didn't take me long to realize that hard work with a clean deck is where it's at. But I do wish I had developed an appreciation for the moves and skills a little earlier on in my studies.
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jwebyra Regular user New Jersey 140 Posts |
Big problem I see is magicians who don't practice enough and present the trick like it written, also magicians who expose their tricks because of lack of practiice and presation. Use a mirror so you can see what the audience sees. Practice in front of friends and ask for input, but most of all the geatest piece of advice I ever got was too "have fun". Just my 2% of $1.00.
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emeline Regular user 135 Posts |
A lot of beginner ( and I'm the first ) want to have everything very quickly but we have to take time and being very serious to master magic ! take time and be serious !
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Verno Inferno Regular user Chicago 132 Posts |
There are things that people commonly refer to as beginner mistakes that I think are necessary for your growth into a better magician. In that sense, they are mistakes, only when you do them as a more experienced magician.
For example, I do not think it is a mistake to accumulate a bunch of tricks as you start off. I know, it is important to master only a few. However, a rookie has no clue what type of magic he will enjoy and what he will be good at. He has little clue. So a beginner will, without exception or fault, accumulate too many tricks. I can't say that's a mistake. I also don't think it is a mistake to copy the routines of others as a beginner. I've heard it said elsewhere: when you're learning to play the guitar, do you write your own music, or to you copy--note for note--the tabs from classic songs? A beginner needs to try these packaged routines to see how they work, and ultimately, how misdirection and magic works. I think this is a mistake that beginners make: they think there is such a thing as a self-working trick, when in fact there is no such thing. A "trick" includes the performance, and no public performance of anything is self-working. So, I agree with those who say the beginner's mistake is in not listening to veteran's advice regarding presentation. |
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BullzEyE New user 50 Posts |
Usually biginner magicians get very frustating when trying to learn tricks. I suggest starting out with some simpler ones, then as you gradually get better at preforming go on to more difficult ones so you don't get too frustrated and quit right away.
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dynamiteassasin Inner circle Naval Air Facility, Atsugi, Japan 1158 Posts |
-Not holding the deck in the mechanics grip..
-Doing fancy Double Lifts.. -Lack of build up.. -Lack of showmanship.. -Lack of presentation.. -No audience control.. -Trying to know almost all secrets behind tricks and not even having the guts to perform it. -Instead of making out the most of what they have, they buy tons of videos and props and at the end it all just becomes a waste.. -Being too serious about magic, you gotta have fun doing it! |
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Mitchum New user 59 Posts |
As a beginner, I confess that I am guilty of buying more than I am going to use. In two months, I have purchased 2 books, 16 videos/DVDs and several instant downloads. One book alone (RRTCM) would have been enough to keep my busy for several months...
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