Hi all, I have a friend who has just taken up Magic and he wants to know what is the best way to learn a trick. I told him this is how I study an effect say for instance I was learning a card trick I would read the effect four or five times read it again and visualize all the moves then I would read it again with a deck of cards in my hand and practice the effect until I could do it smoothly. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Break the trick into manageable pieces. Wait until you have mastered the first part and then move onto the next. Practice each sleight whenever possible. Once all have been practised enough, put them all together to form the effect.

Tell him to read it over and over again until he can do all the sleights in his mind, then to pick up a deck of cards and try it step by step. Master it looking in the mirror after you have the sleights down. After he tries it in the mirror and it looks good enough, he can perform it for other people.

The first thing I do is read the effect to get the feel for the "magic" that is happening. I try to visualize the effect being performed by me. I then try to figure out how one could do it. After I work on that for a while, I will read the effect (sometimes I do this right away, if I am just interested in reading and not doing the effect) a couple of times to understand the mechanics. I then will go through and list the sleights and/or moves and study them independently. I will then go back and put it all together. The whole time I am thinking of storylines, or patter, and write it down in a book for later use. Many times, by the time I have the routine practiced, I have the patter almost done, at least as a well thought out concept. I then work on the movements and patter and coordinate it all for a finished product.

Mr. Steele that is very good advice. I like to try a couple of "cold runs" where you go through the trick without doing any moves. e.g:turn the card over but don't switch it, or simply grab a deck and without reading the method (however this can lead to bitter disgust)go through the process described in the effect, this will give you an idea of how the effect should appear to spectators BEFORE you spoil it all by filling it with lies and deception.

My suggestion would be to tell you friend to learn as much of the basics as they can. Some instructions describe how to do a move. If you know that move then you won't really have to read that part much detail. Some instructions won't describe how to do some moves at all. For example it might say to do an Elmsley count but not describe how to do that count because it's a commonly known move (A basic move). This is just another reason they should learn the basics first.

Assuming one knows as much of the basics as they can. When getting a new trick it's likely you know what the effect is to some degree before you purchased it by reading a description or seeing it demonstrated. If you liked what you saw when it was demo'd then it's important to remember that before you read those instructions. It's easy to loose the reaction it got when you find out the method. Keep in mind that you once liked it and how you felt when you first saw it is how others might feel when they see you do it too. So don't confuse the method with the effect.

The single most important thing is to keep it fun and interesting. If you get frustrated then take a break. If the trick requires a move you've never learned before then try and see the potential of that move as you master it. You might find other uses for that move.

Ron Jaxon

Practice,practice,practice

If you're learning an effect from a video or DVD my advide is watch the performance with the volume on mute 20 - 30 times. No kidding. Then go into the explanation.