Dear Magicians,

As you know, there are a lot of magic material out there. Observing all of them has confused me! I want to stick to a set of routines. Let's say 20 to 25 effects. So, I need your guidance on how many effects to stick to regularly? And how to avoid being carried away by so much of material available in the market.

Please help! Thanks in advance.

Please read Jamie D Grants The Approach! Wonderful book about developing your sets and more. He recommends the 3 sets of 3 tricks each. It has been working well for me at my gigs. Hope that helps!

Find about 20 tricks wich you love and feel comfortable in performing them. when you observe all the stuff out there what often helps is, when you ask yourself if you not already have a similar effect.

I would pick the effects that suit your style and personality, for me and I'm sure a lot of magicians that really narrows down your selection. You also have to take into consideration pocket space, you don't want to be fiddling around in your pockets to find your next trick you want everything to just flow.

Thanks for the response people! Yeah, I read some really good review about the book The Approach. Definitely in my "to buy" list. By the way, thanks for your guidance! Cheers.

Move it to the top of that list... trust me

The Approach is the single best book I've bought.



As a side note I'm always amazed when people tell me they know more than 9 tricks. Not because that's what "Jamie recommends in a working situation" but because it's freaking hard to keep track of them all. I mean how many effects do you HONESTLY know without thinking about them, if someone just handed you the prop you needed you would just automatically do it vs. having to think for a few seconds, re read something or run through it once to remember.

To me KNOWING a trick is exactly the definition from Royal Road where the effect is just automatic and happens.

Not saying it's not possible, Michael Skinner was proof of that, but it probably took him YEARS to get there and certainly not as little as 10 or even 15 years. Again not downplaying anything just saying I'm amazed when people know a bunch of tricks. Also I know you didn't say you DID know that many, just a side note

I think it depends. these days, I'm pretty much only doing about 4 or 5 tricks on a regular basis. but there's probably between 20 and 30 tricks that I can comfortably perform that I think are reasonably strong. and then there's probably another 50 or so tricks in my magic drawer, plus all the effects I can do with a normal deck (half of which I forget).

but I know that some magicians can get by only doing one trick, such as metal bending. they just do that same trick over and over again and that works for them.

so my advice would be to learn maybe 4 or 5 tricks really well cause that's really all you'll need in 90% of the scenarios you find yourself in.

even if you're a professional, you can really get a lot of mileage out of just 4 or 5 tricks.

but eventually you should work towards having 3 sets of 3 tricks like Jamie D Grant recommends.

I know that one thing I'm working towards is learning 10 tricks with a normal deck that can be done stand up. and then 10 other tricks with a normal deck that can be done with a table. that way, as long as I have normal deck of cards on me, I'll be able to do a lot of magic.

so ya... I think 5 tricks is enough in most scenarios. it would be nice to learn about 10 tricks that you're comfortable performing because most of the time, you'll never be showing more than 10 tricks to any one person. and then just maybe learn some normal deck tricks to have just in case. it's pretty easy to learn a version of out of this world that you can do with a normal deck when you run out of tricks... or learn a few other mathmatical ones to have just in case.

so if you learn a few card tricks (ambitious card, a monte routine, etc.)... a few coin tricks.... maybe a chop cup or cups and balls or whatever.... a few gimmick tricks.... and then get BBM Ultimate Self Working Card Trick DVD vol 1..... you'll have plenty of good material.

Before I start walk round is something I only do occasionally so I am not a pro at this. However I find the 3 sets of 3 work well for me and feel you don't need much more.

I think you need to clear a work space and get organised.

It is hard remember all your martrile and learning new stuff. But this is what I do. I have a case with my 3 sets of 3 ready to go. Every thing is in this box to do all routines and tricks. There is a printed list in there as well. I aslo have a learing box. The props, instruction and note book are in there also with a list. This process helps me to not get distracted by other props and other ideas dumps I might have.

This rel life example is drawn up from other pepole ideas and I now a few friends that have copied and adapted from this so I hope it migth help you.

I don't think "knowing" more than 9 tricks is that hard when you have a good variety of props. I have 4 good coin routines (one of them is a coin and silk) I regularly perform, professors nightmare, sponge balls, chop cup, C&R rope, rubberbands (CMH and stairway). That's 9 without even touching cards! And it doesn't feel difficult to remember them as they are entirely different methods - I'm not going to get CMH moves muddled with chop cup!

However, I do get muddled with card stuff and struggle to keep track of more than 2 card effects at a time as so much of that feels similar. 9 feels like a good number to get really really good at, with others just being really good.

I also do 3 sets of 3 although I have so many that seem to elicit good reactions that I alternate among my arsenal. Yesterday it was

1. Extreme Burn
2. Double Back
3. Ring & Rope (Nest Of Wallets Finish)

4. Pointless/Pen through Bill/Bill change
5. 3 coins across ending with "To Teh Max: (their signed coin ends up in block of ice)
6. Bill In Lemon (CHOP)

7. Silks jamming (pulling from their ears, sleeves, etc) and "Blendo"
8. ACE (Sanders)
9. Envylope

This particular set worked out very well. I usually bing more like Brainwave deck, Twlight Angels, a double facer for Anniversary Waltz, the gimmick for BRANDED, the gimmick for LIT, Money Paddle, etc just for some extras.

Everyone is different. This could really be a question of how long you've been performing.

I can perform a good 20 routines that (are different) are 3 to 7 minutes each and another 70 tricks that I feel the audience likes & I do well. But There's no reason someone couldn't work a gig with 5 tricks if they fragment the audience.

There are times I'll perform every trick I have with me and there are times where I keep repeating the same 4 or 5.

Sometimes it also matters how many people are in attendance and how much time you have for each group.

I have added The Approach to the cart

I have one major problem with the way I think. I am very meticulous. I need a PERFECT presentation for each effect. So, if that's the case then 9 tricks as Jamie says, would be ideal. Because, I find it hard to remember the PERFECT presentations for all 25 effects! Phew! So, better do 9 effects really strongly than 25 effects with no strength in them.