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Oz Fan Loyal user 277 Posts |
Really great info Geoff! I wish I would have started out learning all of the basic sleights instead of just tricks.
-Blake-
Blake S.
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dg Regular user 122 Posts |
To start off with I got hold of a few good books and learned the basic sleights. The lists above are a really great starting point for anyone involved in magic. Obviously everyone's tastes are different but by learning these sleights it gives you a much better grounding for all types of card magic.
Personally I use a hit lift for a double, found it the easiest and most natural looking for me. |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
I would add one other thing that nobody has mentioned here. That is PRESENTATION. Don't try to learn too many tricks and/or sleights all at once. Make sure that each thing you learn has a purpose, that is, that you have a trick for every sleight or move you learn and vice-versa. The sleights, moves and subtleties are useless without something to use them in. Forcing a card for the sake of forcing a card is useful only as practice.
Learn a few good tricks, and by good presentation, make them into good magic. Good magic does not have to be difficult to do. In fact, good magic MUST NOT be difficult for you to do. It must be as easy to do as breathing. So you need to practice. To give you some insight into presentation, I recommend that you get Henning Nelms' book Magic and Showmanship, a Handbook for Conjurers. It's as relevant now as it was when it was written. If you follow the principles in it you will be able to entertain people with your magic.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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paulajayne Inner circle London England 1160 Posts |
A point of view on "finger flinging" card moves.
When we show somthing magical with cards is it not more effective if we handle the deck in a natural way and shuffle like our customers? Sure if you perform for a living as I do, riffle shuffles are nice , one handed cuts as well but the average Joe doesn't do that. Magic is more effective if it comes on the offbeat. IMHO Paula
Paula Jay - Magic to Remember -
--------------------------------- I once wrote a book on elephants, I think paper would have been better. ---- |
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Alastair_Webb New user 11 Posts |
I feel a bit stupid asking this question but what are passes used for, and how are they applied to real tricks.
I'm not sure whether you can answer this without exposure, especially since I don't fully understand the rule of exposing a secret. Any answer you can give would be apprciated. Al |
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Avrakdavra Loyal user The Pine Tree State, USA 224 Posts |
Thanks to G. Weber, et al. for the advice. Now, intent on following the advice, I am looking for specific recommendations of books/DVDs, etc. which clearly and systematically teach sleights and other basic techniques. For example, what is the full reference for the "card college" book? Any other suggestions?
Much appreciation from this abecedarian avrakadavrian. |
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Richard Allen New user 66 Posts |
Pretty good post, and I'd have to agree for the most part. Bill Palmer makes an excellent point... the moves only serve as your tools... you need to learn how to use them in order to build a magical effect in your spectator's eyes.
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click pass New user 32 Posts |
I am definitely a beginner to card magic. I have several of the card college books as well as royal road and have worked through them. My question is whether anyone would recommend the Apocalypse volumes to a novice card magician. A lot of the tricks seem to be way out of my league. In terms of trying to learn ring and coin tricks is these a good source or would it be better to find books that focus on these topics specifically?
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CloseUpMan New user San Diego, CA 1 Post |
Thanks for all the good info. I'm getting back in to magic, after 20 years. So, I consider myself a beginner. There are some things that I didn't learn back then and this info will get me going in the right direction.
Thanks Bill for mentioning the need for Presentation! Any other resources that you or anyone else can recommend for creating a routine? |
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marlotto New user East Riding of Yorkshire 5 Posts |
In magic, I beleive it is the EFFECT that is all important. If I can develop an alternative method of handling rather than have to master complicated sleights in order to perform a card trick then I will if doing so retains the original effect. Working on your PRESENTATION is, in my opinion, far more important than practicing a card sleight just for the sake of it.
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Barajista New user 61 Posts |
Thanks Geoff,
I've been jumping around for awhile on where to start and your list has been helpful to get a sense of direction. The comments on presentation are important to remember! |
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stuper1 New user California 100 Posts |
One person mentioned the Hindu shuffle as both a shuffle and a force, but it can also be used to control cards quite easily and convincingly.
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sinnead zenun Elite user Mt. Makiling 408 Posts |
I also recommend the rolly polly pass. a very easy pass for beginners...
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Jason Robillard New user 5 Posts |
Being a beginner and a visual learner, what videos or DVD's would anyone recommend for learning card handling techniques?
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Geoff Weber Inner circle Washington DC 1384 Posts |
Please refer to the other sticky topic in the "New to Magic" section entitled "Recommended Books for Beginners".
Presentation: This is just as important as everything I put on my list. Because it is an entirely different beast altogether, it would be impossible for me to rank it on the card magic skills list. I think Presentation is more than just a skill, I think it is a whole new category with its own list of skills. Skills such as timing, blocking, storytelling, communication, acting, creativity, improvisation, scripting.... Each one of these things is far more complicated to master than any piece sleight of hand I mentioned. So if you are brand new and have not developed your presentation skills? what do you? Study the masters and copy what they do. Video or live performance (even better) is really the only way to convey this. See how they carry themselves, how they make eye contact with the audience. How they make a dramatic pause here, or break the tension with a joke there... If you buy an instructional video that has a presentation you find entertaining, use it! Learn the script word for word, and match the actions as closely a you can. The ability to develop your own original presentations, is something that can only happen with experience and time, so for now put your faith in the person who is teaching you. As you grow in your performing abilities, you will be more comfortable with your magic, and have better understanding of what works and what doesn't. |
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Jaz Inner circle NJ, U.S. 6111 Posts |
Good job Geoff!
I would add jog and slip shuffles for control and the Hindu Shuffle. The Hindu is a good foundation for forces, false cuts, etc. |
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magicbymccauley Special user 830 Posts |
This is what I teach to kids:
Basic: Riffle shuffle (waterfall) Riffle shuffle Retatining Top Stock Overhand Shuffle Overhand Shuffle card to top and bottom Hindu Shuffle Running cards Key Card Principle Bob Longe False Cut Overhand Shuffle Backjog Control, Pinky break (time misdirection) Cut Pinky Break Overhand Shuffle (also called simplified pass) Hindu glimpse Hindu Pinky Break Bottom Glimpse Locator Cards (the crimp,long, short, thick cards) Cross Cut Force Bottom Spread Force (From Royal Road) That right there is the bare bones of card magic: controls, forces, and false shuffles. (Note that the controls can be used as false shuffles, but only to retain top stock) You should be able to do just about anything you can imagine as far as "Pick a Card" goes. Then if you continue in card magic Intermediate: Jordan Count Elmsley Count Hamman Count Gambler's Cop Bottom Turn Palm Zarrow Shuffle Side Slip (to top and bottom) Slip Force Riffle Force Spread Cull Force Multiple Card Culling Biddle Add On Dai Vernon's Multiple Card Control A 3 way False Cut For the Unambitious Coutures Cut Control Advanced: Double Lift Top Change Classic Pass Hermann Pass Front and Back Palm Two hand Top Palm Multiple Top Palm One Handed Top Palm Multiple Diagonal Palm Shift There are more good moves I could include, but these to me look like the essentials. People think the double lift is for beginners or intermediate level. It's not in my opinion. It's for advanced conjurors. Bad double lifts are the absolute worst, and I've seen many. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't practice the double lift at the intermediate level, it means to perform it, it really takes a lot of effort to master. Ususally this amounts to proportionally more work than other card sleights. The top change is curious, because althought it is an easy sleight, it takes advanced timing and misdirection.
"Tricks are about objects, Magic is about life."
-Max Maven |
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Mitchum New user 59 Posts |
Great list magicbymccauley. I wonder why you don't teach the glide to your students. This is an easy sleight to perform and can have the same impact as the double lift (only done from the bottom of the deck).
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blueboy7948 New user UK 61 Posts |
Geoff
Thanks for the list an absolute godsend to a total newbie such as myself. I have always loved magic since I was a kid and it has taken me many years to have the drive to learn it and also to overcome my intrepidation of going in the magic store to ask for a book. Your list is something that I am starting to apply now and I'm practising furiously (much to my wife's annoyance) |
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ShidennOdmistL Regular user Vegas 109 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-06-07 15:50, Alastair_Webb wrote: I heard a saying once that the only stupid question is a question never asked. Checking in my book, RRTCM, and I quote from pg 153 (man I feel like a pastor) "After all,the principal of the pass is to bring a chosen card from the middle of the pack to the top and vice versa..." So there you go. Its a sleight to bring a card from the top to the middle and vice versa. And to add alil more clarifaction to it, the reason why its called the pass is not only cause of the sleight, but on how the sleight looks. Just imagine it, ok? Hope that helped. A question to all: aside from good sleight to learn as a beginner, what are good tricks or routines that implement these sleights? IMHO, Geoff, you have a great post and I know all that read it will appreciate it by far. However, to no offense, this is just a list of sleights. Sleights that have no absolute application to the magician, and by no absolute application, I mean that the magician does not know how to apply these sleight to their magic, makes it something of a chore to learn. No offense to anyone tho. This list is a great list. My applauses. : Tim
Sol Hiden N D Mist...
Never look back.... |
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