When practicing, I was curious whether you practice sleights (alone/in order to conquer the move) or do you practice tricks, that involve the move in order to learn both at the same time?

To answer my own question, I usually just pick out some tricks I like, which happen to involve the same move (i.e. double lift). I'm not sure where I stand on this, as eventually you should be able to perform any of your moves without looking. But in the early stages, there's only a few you can work on, when you're paying attention to other things (i.e. double lifts again in this case the snap double).

Are there certain moves which you would recommend practicing, and others you would say are OK to practice in the middle of your trick learning? Or would you recommend each separately?

I usually practice the sleight first if I haven't used it before then the sequence of the effect.

I always practice a new sleight by itself first. After I have the sleight down, then I begin to practice the routine itself. I try to stick to practicing only the effects in the routine until I have it down.

Josh

Sleight first, then routine. When learning a new routine, I also practice my patter to cover the move in a mirror, so that I do not get in the habit of just doing the move.

The new sleight first, then the routine.

You have to be able to understand and execute the sleight before you can apply it to a routine. Always learn the sleight first.
It would be as though you building a house without the tools (I mentioned this in another thread).

Thanks
Fayaad

As soon as you have the sleight down switch over to using it in the routine. At times I even just work on the routine and slow down for the sleight...in time I'm using all moves at the same pace.

Somewhere on here there was a link to some free notes on practice. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thank you for your help.....Lanny

A great way to practice is to do a move, say a double lift, then just lift one card and make it look just like the double. Also, it's good to make sure you handle the cards the same way everytime to maintain consistency and lessen the arising of suspicion in the spectator's mind. Harry Lorayne talks about this on one of his tapes where he says it looks like a "ballet" every time some magicians perform a double; whereas during the other times it just looks like the guy is lifting a card from the top of the deck.

I now only practice mostly the one hand top palm sleight and flourishes because I get rusty when I stop practicing. I've already developed a knack for other sleights like the double lift, pass and card controls.

The thing to keep in mind is that sleights are our tools.

As Fayaad said above, you get the tools, then build the house.

My advice would be get the tool, learn how to use the tool, then start doing simple projects with the tool. After that, you can go to more complex routines.

I wouldn't want to use a power nail gun until I knew how it worked and got my technique down, for safety reasons.

Sleights are the same thinking. The safety reasons are your reputation and secret maintenance.