Ring and Rubber Band Magic Versus Card and Coin Magic

[Etherealist]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to magic and was just wondering a few things in regards to how magic like ring magic and rubber band magic compare to card magic and coin magic (which seem to me to be more "established" and popular):

1. Is it generally advised to learn card magic and coin magic BEFORE learning ring magic or rubber band magic or does it not really matter?
2. Which out of these four is the easiest to learn and which is the hardest?
3. Can ring and rubber band magic get as strong of a reaction from an audience as card and coin magic can, generally speaking?

Any feedback, even a sentence is much appreciated as I couldn't find a discussion like this anywhere.

Many Thanks!!

 

[RealityOne]

1. Is it generally advised to learn card magic and coin magic BEFORE learning ring magic or rubber band magic or does it not really matter?

Learn magic that you would enjoy performing. There are no rules other than that.

2. Which out of these four is the easiest to learn and which is the hardest?

Something is only hard if you don't enjoy it and aren't excited about it. Also, with card, coin, ring and rubber band magic there are different effects that involve different levels of difficulty.

3. Can ring and rubber band magic get as strong of a reaction from an audience as card and coin magic can, generally speaking?

The reaction isn't dependent on the props. It is dependent on the magician.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

He said exactly what I was going to say.

 

[Etherealist]

Hi guys, thank you so much, one other question - for someone with less time is it recommended to focus on say 2-3 areas of magic (for example card, coin and rubber band) and get advanced at these before going on to others, instead of say starting off with 5-6 types?

Some areas like coin magic to me seem have a very "long term" learning curve involved so I was wondering if there is an advantage for performance etc to say get very good/advanced at for example card, coin and rubber band magic, studying only these areas for a long while, rather than focusing on 5-6 types but staying mediocre at all of them and never reaching intermediate/advanced in any of them...if you think this is better as a new thread let me know...

Thanks!

 

[Maverick85]

I was in magic for three years before I stepped out of just card magic, and I really haven't left it. I'd rather be excellent in one genre that pretty good in a whole lot of genres.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I focused on cards for about 2.5 years. Now, though I learn card work for my own fun, I never perform it professionally.

I think what David said really does sum it up - do what interests you. Your interests may change over time (as mine have) or not. Doesn't matter. Just explore and find what suits your fancy and do that.

 

[RealityOne]

Hi guys, thank you so much, one other question - for someone with less time is it recommended to focus on say 2-3 areas of magic (for example card, coin and rubber band) and get advanced at these before going on to others, instead of say starting off with 5-6 types?

I tend to think more in terms of performance routines and knowledge. For performance routines, I find a routine I like, learn as much as I can about what I want to do and then design, practice and perform the routine. My purpose is to develop magic that I can perform. You don't need to be an expert in card magic to perform a card trick, you just need to be an expert in performing that trick. So if you find three card tricks, two coin tricks and a cups and balls routine you love, learn them and perform them.

For knowledge, I tend to read whatever interests me at the moment - parlor magic, card magic, classic magic, mentalism, coins, etc., everything being remembered for future reference.

There are no rules and no best way except to do it in the way that is the most fun for you.

 

[Etherealist]

Thanks guys, great to hear about the experience of others. I just don't want to find myself a few years in going "darn I should have just focused on these and less on this..."

Christopher I'm just curious - do you not perform card magic professionally because your interest/style just changed, because you cater to a specific audience, or some other reason? Just curious as reading threads in the forums I can see some people perform card magic but never coin magic professionally or vice versa and I've wondered what the reasons are. I was assuming they just enjoyed one over the other over time or that it was because of a change in the audience they perform for but wasn't sure... just wondering out loud here...

 

[TylerScottIllusionist]

3. Can ring and rubber band magic get as strong of a reaction from an audience as card and coin magic can, generally speaking?

My street performing style tries to connect with the audience as if I'm just a regular guy who can do cool illusions rather than a magician that has the stereotypical cards, table with cups and balls, etc. So this won't be for everyone but this is what I have come to learn in my experience.

Most laymen tell me they think card effects are okay but it's hard for them to connect to it. Most people don't walk around with rubber bands and a deck of cards in their pocket. I used to carry around rubber bands all the time and people would often ask me why I was wearing them which I would then explain I'm a magician and do a rubber band routine. I thought this was a good opening for me for a while but I realized after a while that most people assumed I was using a magic prop (even though they were just regular rubber bands) and knew I had the whole thing set up from the get go.

What most laymen can relate to is rings and coins since everybody carries at least one of those objects on them. If you can borrow the object from them and start doing crazy illusions with it, it will solidify you as a next level talent to them because they can't use the "He had special magic props" argument. It will be just raw pure skill at that point and in my experience, that is what gets the best reactions.

 

[Etherealist]

Thanks Tyler, it's really interesting to get information from people's practical experience with these types of magic around their perception or reaction. I know it doesn't make sense to say magic type X is always perceived Y way or gets reaction Z but was guessing there are nuances and contexts to how these compare in various situations. For example I'm guessing rubber band magic is perceived differently to children then say card tricks compared to adults, etc...

 

[ProAma]

It is best to be a well rounded magician and a well rounded person in everything. Anyone who says different never tried.

 

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

Is it generally advised to learn card magic and coin magic BEFORE learning ring magic or rubber band magic or does it not really matter?

You can start wherever you like.

I will say that A LOT of principles of coin magic carry over into ring magic.

I'm not saying you should start off in coins first before you delve into rings. But doing coin work might give you some better context to the rules that govern sleights that you may need for rings.

If you're into coin work. Look into 'Ringja'. I'm hoping to get the DVD...sometime in the distant future. But it's some really neat ring magic in there

 

[Etherealist]

Thanks Brett, I actually like ring magic a lot, good to know

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Christopher I'm just curious - do you not perform card magic professionally because your interest/style just changed, because you cater to a specific audience, or some other reason?

To put it simply: There's no room in my show for cards.

I have yet to learn a routine using cards, that is more powerful than anything I do in my shows. I generally find that card magic is inherently trivial, because cards are inherently trivial. To create meaningful magic with cards one has to create a metaphor for something else that happens to use cards - magic with cards, rather than card magic. Personally, it's more work to cram that prop in than I am willing to devote to it.

That's not to say I don't use the techniques I've developed in card handling - I just adapt them to different props that suit me more.

That is also not to say that I am incapable of entertaining with cards. A month and a half ago or so I was at my rehearsal dinner and a friend (who happens to be a professor of perceptual neurosciences) asked me to show her a thing or two. I borrowed a brand new deck of bikes from a magician friend (who was one of my groomsmen) and proceeded to jazz for about an hour or so and left her convinced that I can make the Jack of Spades appear anywhere I want. I am now currently working on a presentation for her class discussing the ways a magician manipulates perception in performance and plan to present it sometime in the next couple/few months.

New It is best to be a well rounded magician and a well rounded person in everything. Anyone who says different never tried.

That is quite a statement. You apparently have absolute knowledge of what is best for everyone in the world. That's pretty amazing.

From my personal taste - I have never seen a general practitioner who has held my interest. Specialists have a lot more time to focus on unique performance art.