hey guys,

this topics it's for general discussion and ideas on how and what is the best way for you to practice on your magic? how long you relatively spend time on magic or to practice it? how do you keep up with so many materials out there?

share your experience to us :D

I used to always want quantity over quality when i first started out..

But later i realise quality is wat people watching are looking for.

It doesnt matter how many tricks u know but which are the ones u can perform very well and make the spec talk abt u or praise u for that effect.

How I normally practice my magic mainly is the v same place im typing haha. Yups u got it right.. on my comp table. At times I will webcam and show frens.

But yeah I do perform quite regularly too especially on frens bday, party, CNY, etc etc...

Performing in real life situation is the best practice session u'd get.

I've passed the stage of asking mum and my bro to watch me.

My gf is pretty new and is a total noob when come to magic.. so now i practice on her. Hopefully she doesnt get bored like how my bro is so bored of watching me and my cards haha...

Good topic Kent!

The above just merely reinforces what Brendan just said, quality over quantity. You just have to master 1 trick, and that would beat 10 tricks which you would prolly have studied, practiced and learnt.

Come to think about it, i'm not sure i'm talking in relevant to your topic question... uh oh....

Btw, some people can work certain tricks better than others.

well said brendan and jennifer, "Performing in real life situation is the best practice session u'd get" i couldn't agree more with this sentence, as michael ammar said "practicing in front of the real audience for 1 hour will equal 1 week of practicing in front of the mirror. for me, i usually pick those top 15 tricks for cards, 5 for coins and 5 for mentalism that i always practice everyday at least 1 hour in front of the mirror and my girlfriend. those 15 tricks sometimes are changed from time to time depends on my new materials and etc. and how fit the effects for me. but i always have best 15 tricks with me all the time. i always make a notes and list those effects in my notebooks so i will never forget. i found this method are the best approach for me.

I believe new materials are always good for every magicians to expand their experience and knowledge in magic, they just need to control it and pick which one works the best for them.

thanks jennifer and brendan, anymore guys?

cheers


knz

Other than technical practice, I also read a lot on psychology and human behaviour. It helps me a lot when I perform, especially since I do a lot of mindreading and "semi-hypnosis" now.

Research into all of that pays well.

You can ask a friend to video you when you're performing, then you can cry seeing how badly you've done and hopefully learn from your mistakes and improve.

For me, I just perform during magic meetings and let the other magicians slam me untill i cry. After that, take their criticism and practice, improve untill i can use my magic to make them cry.

So far I'm still crying, baby.

There're plenty of tricks available bowadays and it depends one how much u cna master it. I normally practice my magic and sleight of hand whenever I free. After I get into it about 65% I will bring out my tripod and camera and set for a good position and record it down to see which angle should I improve the most and also to prevent or cut down the unnecessary part.

My gf will always be my 1st spectator who judge about my magic, I think this is good comment from a real spectator about what you are performing to them before you really show it out to outsider :)



_______________
Nixdorf
Ultimate Magic

I just realized you guys use your gf's a LOT to judge your magic!! A magician thing maybe?? :P

Sorry, am off topic....

It's all in sequence : learn trick --> study it thoroughly --> practice in front of mirror thoroughly --> use webcam --> asks friends/gf/mom/dog to watch to see any suspicious moves.

Apparently dogs get spooked out when u vanish something in front of them....

I am off topic again.....

No more chocolate liquor for me! :P

You're a funny girl Jennifer. Liquor Choco can make you go off topic. then Coffee can make me sleep :P but it's tru :wacko: ..

Anyway, i practice in from of a mirror and it does help alot. But that does not to improve ur magic or anything but just ur handling and skills. Magic comes when you are performing, delivering ur trick at your best, as well proper audience management, and impressing your audience. That's MAGIC.

For me, Magic is not about the ability to carry out tricks or perform a trick. But the spellbound and astonishment that you leave in your spectator for a very very long time.

Practice is also divided into 2 from my point of view. Stage and Close-up. Both requires differrent attention and focus. Identify which type of perfomance that you are into.

For Stage, video is a very method. Kenoph has touch that.
For close-up, use different "test audience" for different trick. Rotate your "audience" and just ask what they see and how they feel. Too often of a trick to the same person would definately be boring. No matter how good you are. Sharing with a magic fren a good way of improving too.

But practice method differs from people to people. Choose what's best for you. Sorry for the long post. But hope it helps. Good day.

Yup I agree with Brendan and Kent about using your performance as a form of practice. If you managed to WOW your audience then you did a good job. However if you made your audience scream and shout your name and tell you you are the greatest magician then you did a great job. Shit !!! going off topic...

Anyway for me i usually practice while watching the TV, while using the comp, as long as my hands are free there are cards... XD

I usually practice on campus because I also have a magician friend there so I can get him to criticize what I have done wrong or the angles that need to be covered etc. etc.. Also I get to criticize him also =p

Best way of practise is to PERFORM! (what Brendan and Jen said)

Performing the effect/routine for an audience (doesnt matter who, fellow magicians, parents, girl friends, dogs, guinea pigs), is equivalent to practising by yourself for a week! (more or less) :)

Do your full routine, including combacks if you mess up the trick.

I disagree. You have to get down the moves first (practice) and then only show it to people - perform.

By the way, I think Jennifer meant that she was drunk on chocolate liquor hence the off topic-ness

Yea..
Spot on VincentP. Actually i know what she meant :P

I see Jon Goh going off topic, and Vincent and Adrian has deviated from the topic by talking about my going off topicness!

It's not chocolate liquor that's making me talk this way : IT'S NO MORE A LEVELS EXAMS FOREVER BABY!!! MUAHAHAHAHA! :P

Ahem....Yes back to the point, that's just the general idea of how to practice your magic. Different people, different styles. We're all 2cent-ing here.

Oops, there goes my grammer. B)

No. The main gist of it was replying to the op. I didn't go completely off topic like you!

Anyway, as previously mentioned there are a few ways to practise, and also a few stages.

First, practise the moves. Get all the moves down right.

Second, rehearse. Write down a script, what you are going to say when. Pretend you are performing to real people and talk according to the script.

Third, perform to real people. Change and tweak your performance according to the reactions of the audience. Whatever doesn't work, either take it out or change it.

A rough guide on the three basic steps of practising.

Jeniffer,
Erm i don think we've deviated but still on the right track. We stil got back discussing on how we practice. Except for this msg over here. Hahah.
For me, practice = effort + presentation skill. I'll normally ask audience on what they see, impression and how they feel after i perform. I don ask them whether it was good or not. From there, i judge my presentation.

you mocking me now, girl? hahaha...

I practice by first trying to master the sleight at home in front of my computer... when i'm done with that... i take it down to the pool hall and show who ever's there... usually i ask my co-worker first(and this is going to sound really racist), but she's white and they'll just get amazed at anything... haha

Your right that does sound racist... Wow you got a POOL HALL !!!! @#$@

Anyway adding to my previous post I would like to say that will performing in front of people you should master the sleights and angles first.. Well all my performances are basically spontaneous, I normally just go with the flow I feel more comfortable that way... (You might not feel the same)