I admire the advice that people give on this forum for beginners (myself included), as there is an enormous library of knowledge and learning one must wade though to become proficient in the magical arts. However, I find that learning every fundamental technique / sleight at the begininng, although ideal, is quite laborious, taxing (physically and financially), and unsuprisingly time consuming.

Of, course, the ends justify the means - but I've always loved just the "ends" (don't we all). I see effects presented, and my unsatiable thirst makes me want to perform them, so I only buy the books/videos/lecture notes/gimmicks that I want to perform. I see no need to learn twenty forms of passes, countless false shuffles, false cuts,or muscle passes unless one or two adhere particularly well to the effect I want.

Is it bad that I work from the effect - backwards to the sleights I have to discover? I find it rather efficient, since I don't have the time for devotion towards complete mastery. I only obtain what I need. I'm of the school of "Find a trick that works, and perform it better than anyone else" (vernon)

Generally, let's take cards as an example, that is why a beginning book is recommended like Royal Road. It takes you through beginner sleights and effects to go with them.

You are right, no need to learn every pass or every shuffle available and I don't think anybody would recommend that. Only need to be able to control a card, period! But seeing an effect and saying, wow, I like that riffle stacking may not quite be the answer, as to do that sort of work requires a vast amount of knowledge and work. If you can't do a double lift or a simple card control but want to look the part of an experienced card worker usually doesn't play well!

I agree...and disagree.

Find effects that work for the type of show you want to perform and learn what is needed for them. Master them completely and have a great performance!

However: How do you expand your show? By starting with fundamental skills and heavily studying psychology and theory...I find myself able to invent tricks to perform. I went to my son's school a few weeks ago and the children begged me for some magic (they remember me from last year). I had none of my standard props with me, but I had a pocket full of change and a deck of cards. At the teacher's OK, I was able to give them 15 minutes of really fun (really EASY) magic...that I made up on the spot using basic moves and techniques.

But beginners don't have to worry about expanding their show yet, do they? Perhaps it's psychological, but there's more incentive to learn a certain move if you know you need that move to be able to perform a trick that you've read/watched.

There have been suggestions made here for magicians to concentrate on doing only a few tricks well rather than 100 tricks poorly. But I think that learning a lot of tricks is a good thing. You learn how a move may be applied, and hence figure out which sleights to learn and practise. Of course, you should concentrate on polishing only a few tricks for performance.

I pretty much do the same.
I'll work on an effect that looks or reads good. If the effect appeals to me, I'll look for variations. Once I've found and study those variations I sometimes add my own twist to the effect using those ideas I've gathered or my own ideas and sleights.
If I'm not practiced in the sleights used for the effect then I make sure that I practice those more frequently than some others.

I'm always interested in sleights and routines that are new to but really can't afford to buy every new, magic thing that comes around. I tend to stick with what I know and what works for me.

As a noobie I like to see tricks then find out how to do them, and learn the skills necessary to perform them. I quite like Penguin Magic for this as you can see a trick then get if it you like it.

I know quite a few trick at the moment, though I can only perform a half of them. This isn't a problem for me. As I practise the tricks I can do and try to master the ones that are just out of reach I'm learning the skills I need for future tricks.

To date I know a few good forces, controls and reveals. Plus some other bits and flurishes. I still can't do the bertram change, but I keep trying.

If I felt that I had to learn the slights and controls before I learnt tricks then I'd not have a single trick yet and I think I'd have lost interest.

So, to end a longer than expected post, I agree with JediMindTrick, see and want a trick, then learn how to do it. Picking up the slights and skills as you go.

That said, if I ever see a copy of Royal Road I thnk I'd buy it.

"If one knows one hundred ways to control a card and only one way to reveal the identity of the card - one only knows one card trick. If one knows one way to control a card and one hundred ways to reveal it, then one knows one hundred card tricks." - attributed to a lot of people, including J.G. Thompson, Jr., author of "The Living End" a book of card revelations. He gives you the situation (known card on top of deck, on bottom of deck, known name of card, but not location, etc.) and gives you about 200 different ways of concluding the trick.

Highest recommendation.

Lee Darrow, C.H.

Well said Lee, Thanks.