Sad Newbie

[RebelZero]

Hi, all. I've been lurking here for the past couple months trying to absorb some wisdom. I've been practicing cardistry/sleight of hand for those couple months on my own, trying to gain some skills and polish techniques. I started out bad, obviously, and have certainly improved since I started. Any time I'm not using my hands for something else I've got cards in them. Watching TV or a movie, just chilling on the couch, I'm always working with them.

My problem is that I don't seem to be getting any smoother or better. After the first few weeks of awfulness I seem to have reached a terminal level. No matter how much I practice I don't appear to be advancing. For example, I do at least 500 double undercuts every day. This will be the 2nd week in a row I've done this and the technique is not noticeably better than when I began. It's good enough to fool most people most of the time, but I can tell it's not approaching perfection. All my moves are stalled like this. When I first learned the Biddle count I was hopelessly awkward. After 3 weeks of practice I can perform it with reasonable skill but it's not great. I feel like my level of practice should be generating a bit more in the results category. I'm not asking to be a master 3 months into my training, all I'm looking for are some measurable signs of improvement.

Is this a normal first impediment? Do I just need to suck it up and keep practicing hard? Does anyone have any advice or hints? I'd be happy to furnish more info on my practice regimen if it needs to be critiqued further.

Thanks in advance.


RZ

 

[Mentalizing]

Alright let me put it to you this way, to go from bad to decent takes a little bit of hard work, decent to advanced will take longer than you want. I won't lie my biddle came to me faster than that but it's perfectly fine because I have practice the pass for five years and I can't even do it for even the biggest believer.

When someone starts working out they get stronger pretty quick and it's noticeable but to get to a much higher standard it takes more time and more practice techniques.

Just keep practicing and start working on just the move you are having problems with and when you begin a practice session you want to go slow and perfect it a few times and gradually speed it up and every practice session you want to be quicker and/or smoother each time. Takes time man gotta stick it out.

Drew

 

[Chris W]

In my opinion its like working out. You work out for 3 or 4 days a week for months and you look at yourself in the mirror: nothings changed. But someone you know catches a glance and they say "Wow! You look nice...been working out?" In that regard, magic is similar. You might not catch how much you have improved, but odds are you have!

My suggestion is to show people your moves. I myself have a cousin who has been around magic before and gives me straight-to-the-point advice when seeing myself. He notices changes in improvement but spots ways to improve.

So just because YOU haven't noticed any improvement, doesn't mean you haven't improved.

Good luck! Keep it up!

 

[quick_trick]

In my opinion its like working out. You work out for 3 or 4 days a week for months and you look at yourself in the mirror: nothings changed. But someone you know catches a glance and they say "Wow! You look nice...been working out?"

So just because YOU haven't noticed any improvement, doesn't mean you haven't improved.!

Couldn't have said it better myself. One thing not mentioned yet is the fact that sleights are only 1/3 of the trick, you've got misdirection and showmanship to work on too. You can get away with terribly poor sleights with good misdirection and good showmanship. If you've decent ability at sleight of hand and good misdirection and good showmanship your tricks will perform perfectly. The things you can't get away with is poor misdirection or poor showmanship. Even the most refined and advanced sleight of hand artist will be caught out if he can't misdirect well or is boring to watch.

I bet you're doing just fine and at the level you should be with your sleights, just get out and perform for your family and friends as much as possible - only by doing that will you really increase your ability as a performer. But of course, keep practising!!!

 

[shinichikudo992000]

I know my post will trigger alot of arguement, but this is my opinion so get over it if you're against it.

I recommend the beginner pack of Ellusionist such as the Crash Course, inside magic, ninja, how to do street magic, etc. those are the best original beginner magic from E that thought me littlely everything. it teaches you alot of good sleight and how to master them in the very short time. I learn those sleight so fast that my other magic friends supprise how fast I can things and perform it good as well.

once again it's an opinion, or keep practicing what you have and keep your mind open.

 

[Dmagic]

You may not notice any improvement, but trust me, you have gotten better. As previously said, it takes work to get from bad to decent, but when I had been in magic for three months, I sucked like hell! I have now been doing magic for almost two years. My tip is to slow down. Maybe don't do a sleight for three days. You may just need a break. Also, if you're wondering about good material for building technique, get Card College by Roberto Giobbi. It is written in five volumes. Here is my overview and Critique.
Vol. 1
Lots of basic material. He has very good insights on old techniques. However, you will also learn some less known basic sleights. This volume is a great starting point.
Vol. 2
One step past vol. 1, you will deepen your knowledge and understanding of basic techniques, as well as learn new ones.
Vol. 3
This volume is two steps ahead of volume two. He teaches many difficult techniques. I would wait a while for this one.
Vol. 4
More technical sleight of hand. Much harder than volume three. Wait a year or so for this one.
Vol. 5
34 routines from giobbi's proffecional repitoir.

The books are laid out so that you will learn a genre of sleights, and then a few tricks utilizing those techniques. I think these books would improve your magic alot. However, if you don't like to read, then get EASY TO MASTER CARD MIRACLES by Michael Ammar.
Keep it up,
Dmagic

 

[tokyoUW]

It is NOT quantity of practice... it is QUALITY of practice. That is the bottom line.

I have been playing pool on average of 5 hours a day 5 or 6 days a week for the last 2 years straight. When I first started out, I improved slowly, but I noticed that the way I was practicing for the first 6 months was not REAL practice, it was just hitting balls around not really knowing or trying to figure out why I was missing.

Now when I practice for 5 hours a day, I am completely exausted, because my mind is moving a million miles a minute taking in every thing that I am doing. Now my 5 hours of practice is an actual 5 hours of REAL practice. The first 6 months of my pool was maybe 30 minutes of REAL practice out of 5 hours.

This is the same for magic and sleight of hand. Sure, fiddling with cards in front of the TV is good for developing a comfortability with the cards, but as for perfecting technique... you need to be paying attention to what you are doing, notice what part of the "double under cut" is slowing you down or looking awkward, and trying to figure out how to fix it. This can be mentally exausting when you do it for more than an hour...

Improve your practice, and you will improve in your technique.

 

[praetoritevong]

Just one thing I'd like to add here: We are often our own worst critics. Do you have a magician friend - or even a layman friend you can show things to and bounce ideas off? Often they're a better judge, especially an analytical one. One of my magic friends is an engineer, for example, and he's incredibly good at locating unnecessary motion and forces me to justify everything to improve a move or an effect.

 

[bd]

I don't know if this has been mentioned before, as I am tired and did not read the other replies in detail, but try taking a break.

Go a few days without touching your cards, then come back to it. I guarantee you that you will see improvement in the mechanics of your card handling. Also, I'm not sure if this is true for just me or everyone -- but excessive practice is rather unnecessary and can almost hamper/decrease your ability/skill. There's no need to be practicing for the majority of your waking hours... Take some time off, away from the cards. It gives your finger muscles a chance to develop that amazing muscle memory.


Ben

 

[RebelZero]

Very cool. Thanks, everyone, for the replies. After reading some of these I took a break for a few days and when I came back I did feel a touch more comfortable. I'm also trying to practice much slower and pay a lot more attention to what I'm doing so I can find the bugs.

I do have a friend who's into cardistry as well. We're on about the same level, having started at roughly the same time. We can definitely critique each other better than a layman could but neither of us have the experience to help with the fine details.

I also have a DVD on the way, "Born To Perform." We'll see if that helps.

Yesterday, after I'd taken some of this advice, I decided to do the Biddle trick for someone at work. He burned my hands up and I got busted moving his card 2nd from top. Ah, the trials and travails of the newbie. I sulked for the rest of the night, certain I'd never do another card trick.

But today's a new day. Let's see what egregious mistakes I make in the next 12 hours.

Again, thanks, folks. I'm sure I'll be back soon with some more questions.

 

[praetoritevong]

Eh well, stuff happens I guess. Sometimes people are just like that. In time you'll learn how to deal with people like that - the moment someone starts burning my hands and just refuses to look up while I talk to them, I put the deck aside and perform a sleightless mindreading effect or something to that effect. I guess in the meantime it's just a lesson to practice more. I mean, like you said, it's a new day, so never mind, it won't have any lasting repercussions anyway Keep it up man, you're doing well.