|
|
zuuuttt New user 16 Posts |
Hi, I posted a question earlier about what sleights were being used in an effect- http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......&forum=3
I didn't get any replies to that post but as I was reflecting on this I thought perhaps I need to approach this differently. I was trying to learn a routine/effect and just learn the sleights for that effect. For the effect I am talking about (Eric Jones Misers dream on Metal 1) Eric says the routine is constructed from a "shuttle", "vanish" and palm and he says choose whatever one's you like. I abandoned learning the routine and instead now what I decided to do was learn a few different classes of sleight and track my progress as I go. So I bought the Michael Rubenstein encyclopedia of coin sleights and made a little spreadsheet which has columns for "Palms", "Steals One Coin", "Steals one coin from many", "Shuttle Passes", "Vanishes". I list the one's I am trying to acquire and I also record my current proficiency scale 1 to 10. I'm thinking I'll go back to the routine I was trying to do once I have two shuttle passes and two/three vanishes. I'm practising the Roth, French Drop and VV Shuttle pass. Haven't decided on which vanishes yet, apart from one which is the retention vanish. What do you guys think of my revised approach? |
Andy Young Special user Jersey Shore, PA 813 Posts |
Everyones journey is different. Don't boggle yourself down on if you are on the right track or not.
All I can tell you is some of the things that worked for myself. I enjoyed Ammar's Intro to Coin Magic, Al Schneider books, and a few other sources. Most will tell you Bobo's Modern Coin magic, I have now gone back to it and have used it as a reference for the other material I used. I really feel that you should get down some basic sleights like you have described and then go after routines you want to do. If you need another sleight, well you have the reference there for you to learn it. Good luck. |
Mb217 Inner circle 9520 Posts |
Welcome to the Café Zuu...
Andy gives some good advice here, SOH is an important element and his sources are all good ones and some of the ones I've been through as well as many others. From your other post, you were working with Eric Jones' Metal...another really good source from a real worker. I think what you are seeing Eric do, as to his explanations are probably exactly what he says, only he perhaps has stylized the basic usage. So as Andy suggests, that's why it's good to learn the SOH well before you embark on routines. The more you go into more intermediate works, the more basic things can look a bit different in practice. At even higher levels of moves and effects, it can appear even more seamless and finessed. So, it is and has always been thus...Best to start at the beginning, and Practice, practice, practice. Again, Welcome.
*Check out my latest: Gifts From The Old Country: A Mini-Magic Book, MBs Mini-Lecture on Coin Magic, The MB Tanspo PLUS, MB's Morgan, Copper Silver INC, Double Trouble, FlySki, Crimp Change - REDUX!, and other fine magic at gumroad.com/mb217magic
"Believe in YOU, and you will see the greatest magic that ever was." -Mb |
Al Schneider V.I.P. A corn field in WI surrounded by 1080 Posts |
Zuuuttt
You are on the wrong track. You are focused on doing moves. Why not focus on the audience you are working for? First, consider the audience you want to work for. Then, consider some effect they might like and within your present range of capability. It need not need sleight of hand. Then, practice that 1000 times, WITH PATTER! Then do it at least 50 times for real people. (Forget the magicians) I guarantee that you will be amazed at your progress. You will also find that magicians will see you as a guy that has paid his dues. They will be jealous of your ability. Really. Al Schneider
Magic Al. Say it fast and it is magical.
|
zuuuttt New user 16 Posts |
Andy, Mb and Al, thanks so much for the responses- I feel part of the community now! It is a bloody lonely business this. Al, you are right about practising an effect 1000 times with patter. As Winged Silver by David Roth I managed to perform with some success to a couple of people. But I'm not happy with it- it's a completely different smooth beautiful piece of magic when David Roth does it. In my hands it's more like a set of moves sometimes less coordinated than other times, with the moves trying to catch up with the patter. I do think that a lot of my problems with Winged Silver are the performance as a pose to the actual sleights- more practise needed. I was looking at a misers dream or four coin production effect to lead into the Winged Silver. I'm finding that I am perhaps lacking some sleights to do a good four coin production or Misers dream.
Which is why I am practising sleights alongside as well- sleights are easier to find the time to practise. To practise a routine I need to set aside time. But I am taking care to practise sleights with an eye on the effects I want to produce. It just helps me to "track my progress" i.e. know what I know. Thanks again! |
RitalDino New user 59 Posts |
I think of the sleights the same way I think of the moves I do when I play the piano. You have to train your fingers and coordination, that's for sure. But you have to train your patter routines etc also. If your Winged Silver isn't as good as you think, rehearse it with patter until your hand can do the moves as flawlessly as possible without having to think about it. That way you can engage your audience visually (eye contact...) and verbally without breaking the rythm or finding yourself wondering what's to do next.
Point is, think of the sleights as a means to an end, and train them accordingly ;-) Even if some moves are so amazing you will want to train them without having a routine that needs it. But that comes later :-D |
zuuuttt New user 16 Posts |
Great stuff chaps thanks very much. I'll keep practising hopefully will have some more specific questions as I progress on my journey.
|
phread Elite user md 486 Posts |
I believe learning the sleights for the routine you want to do is step one, Why you may ask?
I believe trying to learn the routine and the sleights at the time is doing too much. When you KNOW the sleights are right, it allows you to focus on presentation...how do you know the sleights are done right, show one of the sleights you have been working on to your co-workers/friends as a simple little trick. If you have not gotten the sleight down you have not lost anything. If you do the sleight well you get positive feedback. When the sleights are done right, you can put them in the order needed for the routine and concentrate only on presentation. This is of course my particular way of doing it...
Deckless Wonder
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Nothing up my sleeve... » » Learning and Tracking Progr ess - Sleights First? (2 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 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 < |