Approaching Magic Practice Dominic Reyes

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes
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Copyright 2015 Merchant of Magic Ltd

All Rights Reserved
About the author
Dominic Reyes, BSc (Hons) Psychology, has been performing magic professionally for over
20 years. He is a member of the Magic Circle and is the founder of magic shop - The
Merchant of Magic. Dominic develops magic for the commercial market, consults for TV and
film, and is the author of a range of guides on the performance and study of magic. Dominic
is based in Hampshire, England.
Why this book is free

This book was given to you completely free of charge. A reader asked me why I
wasnt charging for the book. Heres my reply: 'I don't want to charge. My magic shop
already has thousands of products I sell. This isn't a 'product'. I want as many
magicians as possible to read it and maybe get a little benefit from it. Even if it's just a
tip or tweak to their practice habit. A lot of people that love magic get disheartened by
lack of progress. I think many of the people that need some guidance about 'practice'
the most, don't focus on it. They spend their 'magic bucks' on new tricks.. Making it
free, gives the best shot at them reading it.
If you find this book useful, and feel that you do want to pay something back,
maybe you could make a small donation to a charity MoM supports. Only if you
really want to, and whatever you can afford. You can donate here.
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Important!
Practice doesnt make perfect. Practice

makes permanent. Perfect practice makes
perfect.
- World renowned magician, Michael Ammar
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Introduction
Im going to make three assumptions about you right now:
1) Youre absolutely crazy about magic and want to make a
commitment to improve your skills as a magician.
2) You already own quite a few magic tricks, instructional
DVDs or books, but are unsatisfied with how well you perform
many of them.
3) You find that you jump from one new magic trick to the next,
learning the secret, running through it a few times, performing it
a handful of times, then moving on to something else.
Did I get a few right? Its no big surprise really. Most people learning
magic can identify with some of those statements.
For the majority of magicians, magic is nothing more than an
addictive hobby. It involves researching the subject, choosing new
tricks, discovering secrets, collecting, socialising, and playing with
toys. Its addictive because there is an endless amount of
information to discover, a feeling of progress, and lots of positive
reinforcement from family and friends as you develop skills.
Thats plenty to keep anyone happy and occupied for a lifetime But
there is so much more that you can achieve, it only requires a careful
look at how you approach learning your magic.
Does this sound familiar: when a new magic trick, book, or DVD
arrives A large padded envelope has been delivered and you're standing by
the front door, staring down at it. You know whats inside
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After all, youve been excited about this moment right from the
second you ordered it.
Now its finally in your hands.
Its at this point that you find something is missing from the package..
You.
The trick needs you to put your own time and hard work into
mastering its performance. Its the time you commit to practice that
will make the trick magical, and you a skilled magician. There really
isnt any short-cut, you have to make the decision to put in the
required work.
There are tools you can use.
In this book I will share much of what Ive learned about practising
magic over the past 22 years.
The tips and advice are intended to give you three things:
1) A feel for what to expect,
2) Ways to organise your practice into a effective program,
3) Practical tips that will make a huge difference to the results of your
hard work.
If you have any questions, would like to give me some feedback, or

maybe some tips that you feel should also be included, I would love
to hear from you. You can reach me at:
www.DominicReyes.me
Drop by the blog at: http://blog.magicshop.co.uk
Best wishes and good luck with your magic,
Dominic Reyes
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Help someone else

If you find this advice useful, dont keep it to yourself. If you know
someone who is struggling with their magic practice, or just seems to
be stuck in an endless cycle of learning, without actually developing a
set of usable tricks they feel are ready to perform, please tell them
about this book and send them a link to get a copy.
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The practice drill

OK, lets start off with one of the most valuable tips I can give you
about practising your magic. You dont want to have to wade through
the whole book before you start making some practical changes to the
way you practise your magic, so this single page will give you a
technique you can start right now.
If you ignore everything in this book, yet commit to using this
practice drill method, I promise you will still be delighted with the
results. I use this method with all of the students that have private
magic lessons at the magic shop. Its tried and tested over many years.
This really is worth its weight in gold:
Choose just ONE trick to work on. Put aside everything else.
Practise everyday, in small quick sessions.
Use a drill principle: running through the complete moves 20
times in the morning and 20 times at night for 20 days.
If you cant do that, just try to do two 10-minute practice drills
every day. Short regular sessions are best.
After the 20 days of drilling. Film your performance and watch it
back with a critical eye. If it still needs work, repeat the drill for
another 10 days before filming again.
One trick
Two short sessions
Every day
For 20 days
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When you practise magic using this drill technique, dont try to
increase your speed, let that happen naturally. Slow is better when you
are learning. Speed will come all by itself as you progress through the
20 days of drilling.
If you make an error:

Stay relaxed
Stop
Identify where you went wrong, so you dont keep reinforcing the
same mistake. Start the move or routine again from the
beginning.
If you practise magic this way, it will fast-track you as it builds in

motor-memory for the trick or move. Setting a practice drill works
because it removes the CHOICE from your practice. Choice is your
enemy when it comes to getting things done. You need a fixed path,
with no option other than the set practice over a set period of time.
Using a drill will help keep you on target and consistently working
towards a single goal.
Little and often is best

The secret is to practise in short bursts, over several weeks and have
intervals between each practice session. The last thing you want to do
is burn out, so pacing yourself with a practice program you can
maintain is much more likely to be stuck to than a massive full-scale
practice binge when you remember to do it.
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In cognitive science there are two forms of learning:

Massed learning when you practise and rehearse the material
over a short space of time (cramming);
Spaced learning small bursts of practice with lengthy spaces
between sessions to allow you to consolidate the material.
Massed learning is very hard to sustain over the long term, and daily
life is full of distractions and commitments. By spacing your practice,
you give your fingers a chance to rest, your mind can mull over the
material you have studied, and you will be less distracted by all your
other tasks planned that day.
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The practice drill for a single move

You may want to focus on a specific sleight of hand move or
technique rather than a full routine. You can choose a group of core
techniques that you plan to work on, then create a structured drill
practice schedule.
Lets look at the process:
Step 1: Choosing the technique(s)

Start by creating a list of core moves that you would like to develop.
This should be quite short, as each move will be the subject of a long
period of focused work. Scale your list down to 5 or 6 key techniques
that you REALLY want to master. For example:
The Double Lift

The Elmsley Count
The Cull
The Double Under-Cut
The Classic Palm
These will be the foundation for your practice over the next five
months of magic training.
Once you have a core list, pick one of the techniques to start your
training.
Step 2: Creating a timetable

Now we have selected a sleight, we can build an effective program to
give structure and a set pace to our training.
At this point, its easy to rush in and start practising every moment
you can. For some people this works fine, but it can lead to burn out
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from boredom or impatience to move on to something new. If you

find that you struggle to commit to serious practice, and jump from
technique to technique without mastering anything, you will find that
a structured practice schedule will greatly help you.
I recommend daily practice, in short sessions.
20 repetitions or 10 minutes practice in the morning

20 repetitions or 10 minutes practice in the evening.
Choose the first technique that you will work on, and focus on only
that move for the next 20 days. Drill the move SLOWLY 20 times for
10 minutes every morning and 10 minutes every evening. Practice
slowly, just focusing on performing the move accurately and
smoothly.
Speed
Your practice should be SLOW. The goal is to achieve perfect
technique rather than speed. If you rush the moves, assuming that
faster is better, you will be making small errors, which become
reinforced by repetition.
Speed is a side-effect of good technique, not part of the technique
itself.
Why short practice sessions?

This allows time for your brain to consolidate the information you
have learned, and for the muscle-memory to become embedded.
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British memory champion Ed Cooke (who can memorise a full

deck of playing cards in under two minutes) agrees that short practice
sessions are more effective:
Learn in short bursts, testing yourself on the technique over several

weeks and making sure that there are sufficient rest intervals between
each practice session and the next.
The best thing to do is break up your studying of a subject 10
minutes, test yourself, then again on day two, then day seven and day
14. The biggest mistake you can make is just to keep practising it over
and over to yourself.
Step 3: Assessment
After 20 days, video your performance of the technique and watch it
back. Have a critical eye and make note of:
Mistakes in your technique;

Hesitation;
Unconscious tells that you might not have been aware of;
How the flow of your actions look natural.
If you are completely happy with the technique, you can now move
on to put it into action. If not, repeat the drill program for another 10
days.
Step 4: Application and rehearsal

Once a technique has been drilled, you cant rest there. You need to
keep it fresh and familiar over time.
Any move you learn is a waste of time if you dont have an
application for it. You need a magic trick that you WANT to perform
that requires the technique.
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As you start rehearsing the full trick, you reinforce your performance
of the techniques within it. This keeps your skills active over time.
Repeat the practice drill for the WHOLE magic trick, repeating it
several times in the morning and again in the evening. This replicates
the experience you will have performing the trick professionally. A
working magician may perform a trick many times every day, and this
constant work builds in a deep understanding of the trick and its
performance.
Once you are happy with your progress through rehearsal, you are
ready to start again at Step 1 with the next technique you wish to
master.
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10,000 hours
There is a rule for becoming a master of anything. Its called the
10,000-hour rule. Proposed by psychologist K. Anders Ericsson, the
10,000-hour rule claims you need 10,000 hours of practice to master
any skill. Thats around 10 years of consistent magic practice!
Have you got time for that?
Would you like a quicker way?
Lets look at some ways that you can cut that time down, and still get
the same results. The 10,000-hour rule refers to practice through
simple repetition. Is it possible to look at your practice technique, and
introduce some smart behaviour into your routine that could cut the
time needed to master a magic trick?
Practice your magic tricks just before you sleep

Sleep is a lovely thing, and its very good for you, but its also a time
when your brain processes the information that it has taken in through
your day and sorts it for long-term storage. Information is
consolidated during sleep as memories are created and associated with
previously stored information.
If you study your magic shortly before you go to bed, you should find
that you retain much more of the information than if you studied
earlier in the day. Bookending your day with your magic practice
sessions can greatly boost the effectiveness of your practice.
Commit to formal magic practice

What do all those kung-fu films teach us? The Zen masters know a
thing or two about mastering skills! Instead of just going through the
motions as you perform your moves, focus on every detail. Slow your
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practice down so you can pay attention to the process just as much as
the result. Practise in the present, thinking about what you are
ACTUALLY doing, not about the past or what you hope for the
future. Continually ask yourself how you could adapt or change the
process to improve the final result. This is a move away from
mindless reps as you examine each step of the movement and timing
the technique requires.
Know your strengths

You can get anywhere you want, with enough hard work and
commitment. But some people have an easier journey than others. We
can develop skill over time, but you will have a natural talent for
some aspects of magic. Perhaps you are a natural actor, maybe your
mind is hard-wired for creativity. If you have a talent, find it and use it
to your advantage.
Channel your time and effort towards magic tricks you already have a
natural ability for, build a compatible set of skills to complement it.
You will be practising magic that you already have an aptitude for.
Stand of the shoulders of giants

Pretty much everything in magic has been done before. New magic is
often a variation of previous techniques with a new spin added.
The core principles are classic principles adapted and refined from
magicians who worked on designing magic tricks long ago.
Read as much as you can, and study the classics from famous
magicians. Learn from other magicians successes and their mistakes
you can learn faster by avoiding errors that have already occurred.
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As you build up your core knowledge. Seek out new magic tricks that
take the principles that you already know, the core sleights from your
already mastered material, and build up a working set of material
around those moves. Its possible to do a wide range of different coin
magic tricks that secretly all use the same two or three moves. Theres
no need to re-invent the wheel every time you add a new magic trick.
The 10,000-hour rule isnt set in stone. You can create short-cuts in
your practice by spending time designing a strong practice drill
program.
Take just 1% of the time you spend

browsing the internet for new magic tricks,
and spend it organising your practice
regime. By practising smart, you can get to
the mastery of any magic technique or
trick, much faster than you ever thought
possible.
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Take care of your hands

If you find that your fingers hurt or your hand aches when you are
practising: STOP.
Be aware that you are developing the strength and dexterity of the
muscles in your hand, whilst still looking after the joints. You
REALLY dont want to develop Repetitive Strain Injury due to your
practice, so listen to your body. If your fingers or hands hurt, its time
to rest them. The drill method of practice should help prevent R.S.I.
because it stops binge practice sessions.
Many magicians use a good hand-moisturiser to keep them in the best
of order. Your hands are the tools of your trade as a magician. Invest
in hand care and consider having a manicure from time to time.
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Committing to magic practice

Distractions are all too common in the modern world with so many
things around us designed to do just that, distract.
Magazines, television and the internet are all capable of drawing you
in and zapping your focus in a heartbeat. Losing your concentration
when trying to get anything done is never a good thing, but, when it
comes to magic practice, loss of focus can be enough to make you
want to give up altogether.
Tyranny of the new

Many magicians constantly feel the need to learn new tricks and
techniques to stay up to date. However, it can be this desire to stay at
the forefront of what is happening in the world of magic that can be
the biggest distraction from your magic practice. Weve no doubt all
experienced the feeling of excitement when a new trick is brought to
our attention, we cant wait to try it out and we drop everything to do
so. This is fine if you are looking for something new, but what if you
are in the middle of magic practice on another technique or trick?
Youve dropped something before you have mastered it!
Often, by the time that you resume your practice on that particular
skill it is almost like you have never even looked at it before, such is
the power of distraction.
So, with this in mind, what can we do to minimise these distractions

and help us to get some quality, focused magic practise done? Lets
take a look at a few pointers:
Make a decision (and stick to it) Choose just one or two things to
be the centre of your magic practice at any one time. These can be
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either new magic tricks, techniques or a mixture of both. The

important thing is to stick with your chosen task and resist the urge to
move onto something new before you have completely mastered it.
Turn the psychology on its head and use it to your advantage. If there
is something new and exciting that you are itching to work on, use
that as an incentive. Tell yourself that the sooner you get to grips with
A the quicker you can move on to B.
Have a goal Setting yourself a deadline can also be a great way to

incentivise your task. However, it is important that you are not overly
hard on yourself if you dont meet the deadline, providing you have
put sufficient work in. Sometimes it can be difficult to judge just how
long it will take to learn a new trick.
Be consistent Choosing a time and a place where you know that

distractions will be kept to a minimum builds a routine that will allow
you to focus a lot better. Setting this up will help others get used to
the idea as well. If your family know that you are going to be using a
certain room, at a certain time, on a regular basis, it will be far less
likely that you will incur accidental disturbances.
Meditate Maintaining focus is very much a state of mind and

something that can improve with time. Practising meditation can help
with focus as can other relaxation techniques. Of course, this is
something that is going to differ within each of us, but it proves that
with practice the mind can be retrained to concentrate better and work
in a more productive fashion.
By using the tips above you will find that your magic practice
sessions will soon become far more fruitful, which means that you
will learn more in a shorter space of time.
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The Practice Mirror

Using a three-panel close-up mirror can be a valuable tool for
magicians, especially during the practice drill process.
Most three-section mirrors have a problem: they tend to be housed in

a frame, so the mirror doesnt go right down to the table surface. This
can get in the way when performing directly on the table surface or
close-up mat, especially with coin magic routines.
The good news is that its easy to make a perfect close-up magic
mirror, that packs flat, covers all the angles and gives you a full view
right to the table surface. Heres what you need:
Three square bathroom mirror tiles. These are available very cheaply
from most DIY stores.
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Simply take three mirror wall tiles and tape them together with black
duct tape. The tape is flexible,so if you leave a small 3mm gap
between each tile as you tape down their edge, they will be able to
fold the mirror flat to go in your travel case or car.
The mirror looks clean, clear and gives you the most mirror surface
possible, right down to your close-up mat. OK, it doesnt look like a
piece of furniture, but your close-up mirror is a private thing, its not
really for show, but rather for your own private serious practice.
Practising regularly with a close-up mirror can dramatically improve
your performance. However, you need to make sure that you dont
close your eyes, or blink when you perform a move. Theres a
tendency to avoid noticing when you perform a sleight if you practice
exclusively in front of a mirror, so make sure you also drill your
practice away from the instant feedback a mirror gives you.
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Filming your performance

One of the most useful tools for developing your magic is the video
camera. Filming your performance of a magic trick will allow you to
critically study every part of your routine. You can understand what
your audience actually sees when they watch you. Its an invaluable
learning process and we recommend you seriously consider making
this part of your training.
When I talk about filming your magic, I dont mean quickly filming a
half-mastered trick and uploading it to YouTube. Thats not going to
teach you anything. The only feedback will be flattery or even rude
comments, that will do you no good at all. This is not about selfpromotion or feedback from others, its about having a cold, hard, and
dispassionate look at yourself.
It strips away any ego, and shows you whats actually really there,
rather than what you hope to find. Thats where the true value is
gained, and its priceless.
Which magic tricks you choose to film doesnt really matter, but
ideally you should be performing to spectators and not to the camera
itself. You want to be able to study how you interact with your
audience just as much as how well you can do the moves when
nobody is watching.
Once you have some footage, the painful part begins

You need to sit down and prepare to take notes as you watch the
footage back several times. The first time you watch it, you probably
wont learn much. That first viewing will be spent either feeling
uncomfortable about watching yourself, or enjoying the routine and
patting yourself on the back for how clever a particular part of it is.
The real value comes from the second, third and fourth playback.
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Make a careful note of the following 10 action points:

1) Do you look relaxed and natural?
2) Do you look happy to be there and enjoying performing the magic
tricks?
3) What does your body movement say about you, the situation, and
the magic you are doing?
4) Are your hand movements natural, relaxed and clear?
5) Is your speech rushed. Is it clear and engaging? Do you vary the
tone and pace?
6) Do you make eye-contact with the audience?
7) Do you hesitate when executing a move or sleight?
8) Does anything look awkward or out of place?
9) How is your audience reacting at each point during the magic
trick?
10) Are you performing your sleight of hand at the right moments,
when the misdirection is the strongest?
You should have made quite a few notes after running through this
process a few times, and its very important that you act on every
point you find. Use what you learn from this to eliminate all the weak
points and reinforce the actions that are working well for you. Make a
conscious effort to be aware of the problems you have identified.
When you next perform, you will be much less likely to repeat those
problems if you know they are there.
Each little adjustment will make your magic far stronger. Its a better
long-term investment than simply adding more and more new magic
tricks to your knowledge base. You have a tool at your disposal that
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the greatest magicians throughout history never had. Make use of it

and your audience will thank you for it.
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Why your partner isnt the best judge of

your magic ability
Graham asked me: My partner is my confidant in my magic. I
practise with her, and she knows all I was wondering if you could
point me towards a magic trick that could still blow her mind. Then I
would know I can fool anyone
This is my reply:
If your partner knows all, then Id class her as a magician. Dont
spend too much time trying to fool other magicians.
What fools a magician is no measure of what will entertain someone
who hasn't seen behind the curtain.
Its wonderful that your partner is helping you with your practice, and
you can take advantage of this as much as possible. However, Id
warn against judging the quality of your magic performance on her
reactions.
It would be time better spent to seek out a fresh audience. Volunteer to
do an hour of magic at your local community centre, or at a rest home
in your town. That will prove to yourself that you can fool anyone.
Best of all, its at zero risk because youre an awesome guy and
helping out in your community.
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Setting the pace

When you practice your magic tricks, you are performing to yourself.
You run through the trick at the speed that feels right for you.
However, that can often be close to your thinking speed. A persons
inner dialogue or voice is much faster than they naturally talk. Unless
you take this into account when you reach the rehearsal stage of your
practice, you may find that you perform your magic tricks too fast.
Testing out your practice and performing pace

Magicians dont suffer from this alone. Comedians, MCs and
professional speakers all have to train themselves to present their act
at a slower pace than feels natural to them.
A great way to see this in action is to take part in a local magic
competition or open mic night for magicians. In these situations, you
will often have a time limit. The act that you put together will run
perfectly during private practice, but you will be shocked at how time
changes when you are on stage. Many magicians run through their
material at such a pace that they end up having to improvise more
material at the end, then lose their timing and get a red light for going
over time.
Slowing down your magic tricks

Once you have practised the mechanics of a magic trick, its
important that you take the time to rehearse the full performance in
natural time. Saying the full magic script out loud and building in
natural pauses and breaks in the patter.
Run through the full presentation at half the speed that feels natural to
you. Thats probably close to the speed that you should perform it at
in public in order to sound natural and relaxed.
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The old saying in magic is that the hand is quicker than the eye. This
is, in itself, a trick. In reality, speed makes people suspicious. The best
sleight of hand is performed slowly and NATURALLY, and thats just
the same with your patter. Talking and moving fast suggests
nervousness. Smooth, graceful, easy actions look more professional,
and its just the same with your speech.
Do this: Invest in a metronome. Perform your favourite magic trick

and time it. Now set the metronome to a pace that is half the speed.
Practice running at this slower speed. It will feel very unnatural at first
but will soon become second nature.
When you perform for the public, take a moment to stop. Just breathe
and relax your body, now continue at half-speed and notice how much
easier it all feels. Your spectators will relax as well, they will
appreciate your magic tricks more and you will get a big improvement
in the feedback from them.
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Talk to the creator

Once you have picked a trick that you are going to practice, dont just
learn from the instructions. Go directly to the source of the trick.
Magic is a very small community, and being a magic creator is not a
mass market activity. The magicians who develop great tricks tend to
be obsessed by magic! Many of them put a huge amount of time and
effort into creating an effect, for very little financial reward. They do
it because they love inventing tricks, and seeing their creation being
used by magicians. They dont get to be millionaires from their
creations, and as a rule tend not to be business-minded.
Why do they do it?

They are simply magicians like you and I, who came up with a great
idea and want to share it. They LOVE getting feedback from people
who are using their tricks. As they tend to also be magicians, they are
very easy to contact directly. Shoot an email over to the creator of the
trick you are learning. A quick Google search should bring up their
website. Let him or her know you are seriously learning their trick.
Avoiding the dangers of magic forum reviews

When a new trick is released, within a few days the magic forums
become full of user reviews of the trick. These early reviews are
really just first impressions as the reviewers have not had time to
learn and perform the trick they are reviewing. Because of this, they
tend to be based largely on the production value of the product and
the first impressions of the gimmicks included. Often they are written
after just a quick watch of the DVD and a little play with the props.
These reviews make up much of the feedback a magic creator
receives about his or her magic release.
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When an email comes in from someone seriously interested in

learning how to perform the trick, its a real breath of fresh air to the
creator, and they tend to help that person as much as possible. Their
advice and guidance is very valuable to you!
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Make notes
One of the best things a magician can do is to keep a magic journal.
We are going to look at how Evernote can be set up and used by
magicians as the ultimate practice diary and journal for everything
they need to record as they study, practice their magic tricks and most
important of all: PERFORM.
Evernote is a free service (with the option of premium features) that
allows you to capture anything. You can save your ideas, things you
like, things you hear, and things you see. You can sign up for it right
now at http://www.evernote.com
Your notes can be accessed anywhere Evernote works with pretty
much every computer, phone and mobile device out there.
Best of all, you can find things fast search by keyword, tag or even
printed and handwritten text inside images.
You can clip copies of webpages, store PDFs and files, make an audio
recording, store photos and images. The list of things you can put in
Evernote goes on and on. Basically, you can dump in everything you
want to keep and remember, and then find it again whenever and
wherever you need it.
You can store all your notes in a general inbox, or create notebooks,
full of notes on different topics.
Evernote ideas for magicians

Here are some ideas for notebooks to make in Evernote that
magicians will find invaluable:
1) Magic e-books and PDFs
Do you have a load of magic e-books and PDFs stored on your
computer? Drop them into Evernote, and you have your digital magic
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tricks library with you, wherever you go. The PDF reader in Evernote
is one of the best we have ever seen and its fully searchable.
2) Instructions for your magic tricks
Scan or take a photo of any magic tricks instruction sheet that comes
with your props. This is very handy if you need to contact the
manufacturer in the future for refills or parts. Its great to be able to
refer to them using the search if needed.
3) Lists of sets and magic tricks in acts
As you learn more magic tricks. Start building them together into acts
and sets that go together. Creating a notebook to list these, is a great
way to stay organised and develop your magic into commercial
professional routines. Its also a vital step to add continuity and flow
to your magic performances.
4) One-liners
How many jokes have you heard over the years, and wished you
remembered? Each time you hear a great line, a joke or even just a
professional answer to common questions spectators ask, create a note
or record a quick audio clip. Its amazing how much you forget over
the years. This notebook will come in very handy when you are
working on presenting your magic tricks and their scripting.
5) Contracts
Scan or photo each of your contracts and booking forms when you
take a magic booking. Having a notebook with all your paperwork
handy and searchable by date or client name, means you have all the
details you need when you are travelling to a gig. Its all backed up in
the cloud, so you dont have to worry about losing paperwork or your
work diary ever again.
6) Previous client lists
Clip company logos and details for each of your clients. You now
have an invaluable record of your magicians clients database.
7) Testimonials
Some magicians ask for a quick audio testimonial from clients after a
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booking. Ask them to talk about your magic tricks. You can instantly
do this within Evernote. Send any emails from clients into this
notebook and scan thank-you letters. Build up a portfolio you can
show future clients or use for your marketing.
8) Performing pics
Take some pictures at every gig you do. They get stored, and geotagged at the same time. Evernote is a great way to build up a library
of performing pics in one place. Very handy for future marketing and
website building.
9) Magic tricks want list
Create a want list as you browse magic shop websites. Clip product
pages, reviews and information about the magic tricks you are
thinking of learning.
10) Best magic websites
Clip the front page of your favourite magic shop websites, so you
have a magic bookmark list always at hand. If you visit a great bricks
and mortar magic shop. Take a picture and store its geo-location at the
same time.
11) Receipts
Save copes of your order receipts for magic tricks you buy. If you are
a working pro, clip all your receipts to the folder. This makes the end
of year accounts much easier.
12) Routine ideas
Every time a routine idea pops into your head make a quick note or
audio note in Evernote. Collect every idea as you never know what
will be valuable later on. Better to have it and not need it, than need it
and not have it!
13) Practice drills for your magic tricks
Create to-do-list notes and practice drills to organise your magic
practice. Adding structure to your practice can make all the
difference.
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14) Magic tricks inventory

Make a photo or note inventory of all the magic books, DVDs and
Props you own. If you ever need to claim on your insurance, this is a
great list to have at hand. If you review it in the future, you may
rediscover an item you had forgotten about.
15) Business cards
Snap photos of business cards you receive. The images can be text
searched and will be with you whenever you need then. Cards from
promoters, clients, other magicians and venues can all be sorted in
this notebook as your own personal magic business database. If a
photographer attends an event, take a picture of their card so you can
contact them later to get copies of their photographs.
16) Maps, travel and locations
Visiting a new venue to perform? Clip their website to this notebook
and you have all the details you need, when you are on the road. Train
times, flights and maps can all be stored here.
17) Conventions and events
Clip news about conventions and events you want to attend. Store
copies of tickets and reservations, so you have a backup when needed.
18) Performing diary
This is the most useful notebook of all. After every gig, record an
audio note talking about how it went. What went well? What could
have been better? What have you discovered from that days gig?
Keeping a journal like this, will be interesting in the years ahead to
look back on, but also invaluable as a learning tool and a way of
keeping you focused on improving and developing your magic.
19) Store your promotional material
Flyers, posters, template contracts and booking forms can all be
stored in Evernote. Throw in the raw files for your business card
design and a backup of your performing website.
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Are you wasting time?

Magicians are addicted to learning new moves and techniques.
However, practising sleight of hand just for the sake of it can be a
sure-fire way to waste your valuable practice time. Recreational
practice is not a problem in and of itself, unless thats all youre
doing.
If you decide to commit your valuable practice time to mastering a
move, make sure you also have an application for it. Being able to
perform 20 different colour changes is no better than mastering a
single method, that fits perfectly in the magic trick you want to
perform. You only need to learn one method, until you have another
magic trick or routine that actually requires a different technique.
Dont waste time building things that you dont have a use for. Spend
your time collecting complete magic tricks, not individual moves.
Unnatural moves
Everyone loves to invent. Magicians especially love creating and
modifying sleight of hand. A problem can occur when its done for no
other reason than to publish and name something.
At the Merchant of Magic, its rare that a day goes by without the
team receiving a video clip from a magician who has created a new
variation. Sometimes these variations are awesome, but mostly they
are a traditional classic move with a layer of unnaturalness added.
The goal of sleight of hand isnt to be unique or different, but rather to
do something invisibly. Sleight of hand needs to look like nothing at
all. Perfect technique strips away any movement and hand
positioning, leaving only normal everyday handling or action. If a
sleight adds anything unnatural to your movement or hand position, it
could be weakening the magic trick rather than improving it.
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The busy fool principle

Despite what we were all told at school, how hard you work is, sadly,
not a direct indication of your likeliness to succeed. Hard work only
leads to success if its focused in the right direction. This is done by
creating and working towards clearly defined goals.
If we take earning a living from magic as an example, any magician
can get a full diary of gigs if their fee is low enough. A magician can
easily do 4 gigs every week for a fee of 100 each. That magician
works really hard and feels successful as they have as much work as
they can handle. However, another magician can have a larger income
by charging 500 per gig, but only landing a single booking each
week.
In just the same way, many truly obsessed magicians practice night
and day learning moves and sleights, but have not set a goal to build a
magic act. They work like a busy fool building their knowledge
without any goals to make the effort pay off for them.
The Emperors new clothes

The Emperor: The collars always around the neck, the sleeves
always come off the shoulders, the waist always goes around the
middle! When will they invent something original? The Emperors
New Clothes (1987)
So many moves are published that are nothing more than pipe dreams,
invented by magicians who never actually perform them. The moves
get attention from other magicians who also learn them, without any
real intent to perform them either.
The inventor gets plenty of praise, and the students congratulate each
other on their skills mastering these obscure moves. There are
countless online discussion groups built around discussing, reviewing
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and often arguing over these techniques, their originality and

development. There are even online magic shops that specifically
repackage this behaviour into a fashionable lifestyle culture.
Its a fun pastime, sold as training magicians. In reality, it may not
be doing that at all.
Technique over entertainment

Which would you rather watch?
Five different variations of the classic pass (that should all look the
same anyway)
OR
Five different presentations for an invisible deck?
Which would teach and entertain you most? I dont actually need to
write any more on this to get the point across...
Practice versus the average magician

Lets face it. Practising magic is boring for most people. Some
magicians love it, and the work itself is part of the reward and
becomes a passion, but most people feel they have better things to do
with their time than sit down and drill sleight of hand. The fun part is
discovering a new trick, or discussing how a trick works.
Most magic forums are full of 99% discussion of new tricks, reviews,
reverse engineering, marketing, and arguments about which trick is
the best. You have to dig very deeply to find the 1% of useful
discussion about practice and rehearsal.
We can moan about this as much as we like, but its simple maths:
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the average magician is only prepared to spend an average amount of

time working on their technique. This means that half of the
remaining magicians are even less prepared to practice than them!
The result: A lot of terrible performances!

The Merchant of Magic was established as a magic shop to:
Help people fall in love with magic;

Guide beginners to practice;
Help magicians design an act;
Encourage magicians to perform.
If you have ever visited the shop, or called the team by phone, youll
already know that the team often recommends the use of gimmicks
over sleight of hand, for the majority of beginners. The sleight of
hand guides and tutorials are also recommended by the shop, but the
focus is on quality act creation, not an artificial ideal of purity in
magic. After all, thats how he who must not be named would
probably run a magic shop.
Using gimmicks doesnt make you some kind of mud blood. In fact,
it puts you in excellent company with magicians like David
Copperfield, Dante, Devant, and Dai Vernon, and pretty much every
other famous magician. The greatest magicians throughout history
have always been partial to using gimmicks.
Come on Dominic, its not as simple as that
Maybe. Im definitely polarising the issue to a large extent. Few

magicians choose only sleight of hand, and refuse to use gimmicks.
Most magicians study sleight of hand, and also buy self-working
tricks or gimmicks.
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My point isnt that you should choose to abandon sleight of hand,

filling your act with gimmicked props alone. You shouldnt choose
between sleight of hand or gimmicks at all.
Im warning that its very easy to get wrapped up in technique

being sold to you as the path to being a fabulous magician. Its
hard to spot because its not being sold to you by magic dealers, it
often comes from other magicians who are also caught up in the
same trap of assuming competent sleight of hand defines the
quality of a magician.
I recommend that you ignore advice based on the assumption that
sleight of hand is always better. There are excellent techniques, and
there are terrible techniques. In just the same way, there are amazing
gimmicks, and dreadful gimmicks. Forget about the method of a trick
you are thinking about learning. Look at the effect, the presentation,
and what actually happens from the point of view of the spectator. If
those elements are awesome, then you should learn it, regardless of
the mechanics involved.
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How long does it take?

The first thing you need to do to learn magic tricks proficiently is get
a good practice routine set out. Some of the magic tricks you should
learn will need you to practice individual sleights and moves
separately before rolling them all into one routine, which can then be
drilled. Other magic tricks will require you to practice the whole
routine from start to finish as they only work when performed in a
flowing manner.
Remember the 10,000-hour rule. This is a good guide for how long
one must practice to learn magic tricks inside out and upside down.
This amount of practice will shape you into a technical and very
skilled magician. Unfortunately, it wont make you an amazing
entertainer. This is something to keep in mind when performing
professionally; entertainment is paramount.
In order to learn magic tricks to a professional level requires far more
skills than sleight of hand. More experienced magicians will already
have developed their performing style and have knowledge that they
can apply to each new trick that they take on. How long it takes to
learn a magic trick, really depends on your previous experience, just
as much as the amount of time you can commit to learning.
The secret to learn magic tricks faster

The secret isnt sitting alone running through a magic trick 10,000
times. Its about practising the moves, rehearsing the presentation and
then getting out and performing it as much as possible. Professional
magicians may perform some of their magic tricks 20-30 times per
night. Thats a LOT of repetition. If you are not doing magic
commercially, you still need to drill a new trick as much as possible,
so you can master it.
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Learn magic tricks that are good for beginners

I wont give you actual names of magic tricks to learn as everyone is
different, but I can guide you by telling you what to look for in a good
magic trick when you begin your journey.
In general, you should learn magic tricks that are short in execution
and routine, long-winded routines can become boring for spectators. It
can take a lot of your attention to remember all the processes involved
in a long routine; this will definitely show in your performance, which
is not good.
Try to learn magic tricks that can be described in one sentence. For
example, I selected a card and it appeared on the other side of the
window!. If you find magic tricks to learn that are easily explained
then your audiences will talk about your performance to others, this is
a good thing.
It is best to learn magic tricks that are not too far out of your comfort
zone. Push what you do, but as far as practising magic that you intend
to show people, it is best to learn magic tricks that are not too
advanced. Performing magic tricks above your technical abilities will
show when you perform them to people, and they may see through
your technique; this will ultimately end up ruining the magic.
Dont try to learn magic too fast. Slow down, master the basics first.
By all means practice magic tricks that are out of your comfort zone
as this is the only way to push forward. However, you should resist
showing people these magic tricks until you have perfected them and
can perform them with patter flawlessly.
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Why you need hard work more than

natural talent
When we see famous magicians performing, its easy to think that
they must have been born with an extra set of powers that we dont
possess. Somehow, these magicians have skills that far exceed those
that we could ever hope to have. We run ourselves down because we
think we need to have been born with some form of special natural
ability. Its totally understandable, as it makes sense to us about how
the world works, and reassures us that our own shortcomings have
roots outside of our control. We simply werent born with the same
chances as everyone else. Its self-destructive and makes magicians
give up learning magic. We just say whats the point of even trying?.
Talent may be a myth and self-defeating

Research shows us that talent is highly over-rated as the cause of
success. Natural talent does exist, but its a very bad indicator of
future outcomes. Natural talent has a far smaller influence on our
ability to master a skill than we imagine.
The greatest achievements can come from consistent, focused magic
practice over time. Our culture makes us feel embarrassed about
attributing success to hard work. Instead, we should be inspired by
magicians that put in effort. We should focus on the journey they have
taken to learn and master their skills.
Do this: When you watch other magicians perform, think about the
hours of work they have put in to get the performance to that
standard.
Focus on the effort rather than the success of the magician.
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Set your own practice goals so you commit to consistent work.

View talented magicians as dedicated magicians. Use their
performance as proof that YOU can perform to that standard as well.
Decide that having those skills is important enough to you, for you to
commit to the work required.
Practice your magic every day using a proven drill or program to give
structure to your practice.
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Performance vs. practice

Sam asked the team at the Merchant of Magic:
Ive been into magic for a while now, and when I was young I could
perform magic to people without worrying if I was going to mess up
the trick. Im 21 now and, for some reason, I feel the need to practice
the trick to perfection before I can perform it to anyone, even family.
Is this a good or bad thing?
Here is what Ben Williams said in reply, hopefully if you have the
same issues this advice will help you out too!
When we mature our brains develop much more of a realisation of
consequence. When you were younger, you probably didnt think
about any consequence of performing a magic trick, partially as a
result of this fact. It is not a bad thing to practice an effect to
perfection before performing it. The problem would be if you are not
performing the trick because of fear it is not good enough, not that
you dont know it inside out. When going to perform we all have fears
at the last minute, such as the trick you feel like doing is just not
going to fly or get the reactions you imagine. The real truth is that you
just dont know how your magic is going to go down and in all reality
it most likely is going to get a much better reaction than you imagine.
Magic practice
I truly think that practice is not a bad thing at all, but you should be
able to realise when you have practised something enough. Take a
punt on performing it, this is where your skills will become honed.
You can practice a move in front of a mirror until it looks invisible,
but if you go to pieces in front of someone when performing then no
amount of practice at home will get you past that. My advice would
be to practice some easy tricks that you can do without a hitch. Even
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if they are self-working, get two of those tricks, one to begin a set
with, and one to end it. Sandwich those magic tricks around a new
trick that you want to perform, but havent road-tested yet. This way,
if it goes wrong, it doesnt matter.
It's not the end of the world

There is nothing wrong with a trick not working; it is only your ego
that is harmed. If you can brush that off, then there is nothing left to
worry about. If a mistake doesnt matter to you then how can a
spectator be bothered by it or harass you? Sure, you may feel for a
moment like you have egg on your face; or that you have not done
yourself justice. However, if you let those feelings pass and look at it
from a different perspective, that of it being a positive experience to
learn from then you will only get better and better. Learn from your
mistakes, remember a mistake is only a mistake if you refuse to learn
from it, if you learn a valuable lesson then how can it be anything
other than a positive experience?
A friend of mine, Justin Flom said he will ALWAYS offer magic up to
his friends and people he meets, he always has something prepared
and will always try new things on his friends. True friends would not
care if anything went wrong, they may laugh at you for a moment but
if they are real friends it wont change anything, just laugh with them.
It is true; it can feel horrible if you are trying to make an impact with
your magic and then it goes wrong. If the secret is revealed or just
does not work at all, the illusion you are trying to create falls to the
floor like a backdrop curtain revealing all that is behind it. But in truth
nothing is that bad, yeah an effect wont have worked, an illusion is
destroyed but did anyone get hurt? Was anything illegal done? Did
anyone lose their life savings? No! So in the grand scheme of things
nothing has happened. Just brush yourself off and forget how it made
you feel and make sure you get to the bottom of why it went wrong.
Then work on the issue so that you do not make a mistake by
repeating it.
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Think like Dr. Pepper, what is the worst that could happen? Take a
deep breath, clear your mind of any negative thought. Just rock up
with an opening line that gets the ball rolling so you cannot simply
back out, and you will have a great time. I used to turn up at gigs
worried sick that it would be terrible and after every gig I would leave
and feel amazing as it was never as bad as I had imagined!
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Are you spending too much of your

practice time learning new magic tricks?
Ragedy asked me:
I have a question. Ive spent lots of money on books and marketed
effects. What should I do with them all? Should I ignore them? Can I
make time to play with the tricks Ive bought and read all the books I
have, or is this all a waste of time? Is it OK to just show something
for the fun of it and keep some tricks for the serious practice time?
Some of the things I have are just fun and I like showing my close
friends these effects. There are some though I feel fit my persona more
and these are the effects I practice hard at. What do think? Am I on
the right track?
Yes, its fine to spend some of your time learning new magic tricks.
But I think you should set a goal to choose a range of magic tricks
that you will build into a performing act. That should be your focus.
Watch the DVDs and read the books. Play with magic and learn all
you can, but do it with focus towards a GOAL.
Spend 50% of your time researching and learning new magic

tricks. Spend the other 50% developing your core set of tricks and
practising their performance.
Learning new magic tricks is not practice, its just research. It needs
to be done, so you can build a strong act, but its not something that
should take up more than half of your magic time. Equally, its fine to
have a range of fun tricks you perform. However, make sure that you
are building a core set of tricks that will make up a performing act.
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How long does it take to practice a magic

trick?
Stephen asked me: I want to develop my first magic act. How long
should I aim to practice a magic trick before its ready to be
performed?
That question has a very simple answer: it depends.
There is no set time scale for any magic trick to be ready. The time it
will take you to get the trick to a performance standard is different for
each magician and each trick. However, my good friend Steve
Shufton told me some simple advice that I would like to pass on to
you now.
Whilst writing the instructions for the mind-reading magic trick PS I
Love You, Steve wanted to include a section about how long the
magic trick will take to learn. He explained that the more experience
you have in magic, the more you will understand the value of
practice. PS I Love You is very simple to learn. You could start
performing the magic trick in just 15 minutes. Many beginners will
learn the trick and do just that, but in doing so, they are making a
huge mistake. Experienced performers understand that the success of
a magic performance has little to do with the simplicity of the method.
The strength of the trick comes from the performance, and that comes
from the skill and effort of the magician.
Do this: Dont assume that a magic trick that is easy to learn should
take less time to become performance ready. Use the extra time you
gain from a simple method to work on the presentation. Dont rush
out and perform a new trick right away. Take your time
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How many magic tricks do I need to learn?

Patrick asked me:
How many magic tricks should I learn? For some time now I have
been learning a lot of new magic tricks, mainly because I like the
trick. Just lately, I feel like I have been learning too much.
I know how to do a lot of different tricks, but in reality I dont know
how to perform them really well. How many do you perform really
well, whether at a gig or just socially to family and friends, and how
many is the right amount you should perform?
I have a list of tricks I would like to do set out in sets because one
day I would like to do magic for a living.
These are the sets:
Group 1:
Bag 4 Life
Copper Silver Transpo (Pat Page Coin Magic)
Forced Card Mind Read/Business Sandwich (JD4)
Group 2:
Two In The Hand (Spongeballs/Coins)
Card Change
Card To Mouth
Group 3:
Off The Cuff
Coin Through Handkerchief
Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere (Goshman)
Group 4:
Linking Bands
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Ace Shake
Vital Statistics
I also have a list of impromptu tricks I like and would like to show
people separate from the sets:
Magnetic Coins (Bamboozlers 1)
Gemini Twins
Smiling Queen
Linking Paper Clips And Band.
Ring Thing
Napkin Rose
Chicken Impression
Static-charge Match. (Scamschool:Smoke)
242 Poker Deal (Talk About Tricks DVD)
Then there is a list of bar bets/betchas I like:
Rubber Band Release (M. Wilson)
The Next Card I Turn Over
Bent Match Toss
Impossible Knot Do As I Do (rope)
Fingers, Nose Do As I Do
Arm Twist Do As I Do
Cork Penetration
Tricky 5s (Bar Bets DVD)
Heist 3 (Scamschool: Fire)
Is this too many to know?
I am really struggling with this as I dont like to leave any of these
tricks out. I dont know if thats normal, but since I have put effort into
learning the trick its hard for me to stop wanting to keep any of these
tricks.
What are your thoughts on this?
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I replied:
Its good that you have put in this work to plan out both your learning
and performing material. You raise a lot of issues:
How many tricks should I learn?

How many tricks should I perform?
Knowing a lot of magic tricks, but not performing them well
Leaving magic tricks out
Maintaining working material
Putting effort into learning tricks
Lets work through some of these:
Magic research
So many magicians dont do this. Taking the time to look beyond the
desire to learn more and more magic tricks is a vital stage to
developing a professional approach to your magic. Theres nothing
wrong with continuing to learn as much as you can about magic. The
more you find out, the more little bits and bobs can piece together to
give you new ideas and presentations for your magic. Learning new
magic is RESEARCH.
Research is not magic practice

A pitfall that many magicians can fall into is thinking that research is
practice. Studying new magic tricks and keeping up-to-date with the
latest developments in the field is important, but it should only take
up a proportion of your time. The key is to split your magic time
into three parts:
Stage 1) Research
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Study and read magic books, watch magicians perform, talk on magic
forums, and attend conventions. Share ideas and learn new magic
secrets. There is no need ever to stop doing this; its all part of the fun
of magic, and will keep you fresh and at the cutting edge of whats
possible. However, dont stop there! Use the research section of your
time to find out the types of magic and the specific tricks you want to
take with you to the next stage. Its at this point that you are spot on to
make a list like the one above.
Watch out for this: Spending all your free time searching for new
tricks, chatting about magic, and watching magicians perform. The
aim of research is to find the small selection of magic that you will
master.
Stage 2) Practice
Through research, you build a feel for the magic tricks that would suit
you, fit your style, and work well together. Slowly building up a list of
magic that you will master and perform. As you acquire tricks that
you know suit you, you begin to work on them through consistent
structured practice. There is only so much time in each day, so the
research you have done should have narrowed down the tricks that
make it to this stage.
Watch out for this: Resist the temptation to spend time practising
every magic trick or move you discover, jumping from trick to trick
without mastering any. Without a plan or set goals you will just spend
years learning bits and bobs without building up a set of core tricks
that are performance ready.
Stage 3) Performance
The whole point of magic is for it to be seen by an audience. Your
research time and structured practice should result in you having a
range of magic tricks that are performance ready. A few at first, but
slowly growing as you continue to research, select, and practise tricks
to build your working sets. Performance is the end goal, but it is also
a form of research and practise. Through performance we learn new
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aspects of presentation and technique, we reinforce our practice and

maintain our skills.
Watch out for this: Without structured research your performance will
be limited because you need to discover the perfect tricks to build an
entertaining act. Without practice, your performance will be terrible as
you will not have the skills to entertain your audience. Performance is
the last stage in the process because it is the product of the earlier
stages. Resist the urge to perform a magic trick before you have taken
it through the first two stages fully.
Why these stages stop magic problems

Here at the magic shop, we get questions from magicians every day.
Almost every one of these magic problems seem to stem from the
magician either getting stuck or fixated in one of the stages for too
long, or as a result of the magician skipping a stage.
The magician skips the magic practice stage and rushes into
performing too quickly
The magician skips the research stage and just buys and performs
the latest greatest releases with no constant theme or direction
The magician skips the research stage and reinvents a poor
version of an established method
The magician skips the practice stage and fails to master the
mechanics of a technique
etc. etc.
Patricks problem
Patrick, you have built a plan of the material you want to perform,
which is the goal of the research stage. Now you can focus your
practice time on the material in that list. That will help you to move
forward. Its fine to continue the research as well, but only as a small
52
proportion of your time. The bulk of your time should now be spent
drilling, practising and rehearsing the material on your list.
Its fine to learn more tricks, just dont spend practice time on them
unless you decide that your core list needs to be changed by adding
the new trick or using it to replace a trick from the list that is not
working for you.
Moving forward
Your list is the core of your work as you move forward from this
point. This is my suggested plan for moving forward from this point,
and the way I apply structure to how I develop my working material:
1) You practice the material, which keeps it developing and your
skills sharp;
2)You perform the material, which keeps it fresh and also helps you
research how it can be improved or tweaked;
3) You continue to learn new magic tricks as research only, to see how
they could change or adapt your list.
How many magic tricks should be on the list?

It depends. Your list looks fine, and the quantity seems great. You
have several sets to rotate, with a range of additional tricks that you
can add when needed. The size of your list depends on how much
practice or performance time you can give it. Magic tricks are like
plants. Plants need to be watered, or they wither and die. If you dont
often perform, your list will need to be smaller because you won't be
able to keep it watered with performance. A small list of tricks often
performed, is far better than a large list of tricks that are half
forgotten.
Size doesnt matter; its how often you get to use it that counts.
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Why most people enjoy watching magic,

but only a few go on to become magicians
I think this has a lot to do with the four stages of learning required to
become a magician.
Lets look at this process through the Conscious Competence Ladder
developed by Noel Burch in the 1970s. It has been attributed to
Abraham Maslow, although it doesn't appear in his major works.
1) Unconscious incompetence
Remember what it was like before you became interested in magic.

Maybe you were just like the majority of people that watch magic on
TV? You enjoyed seeing the show, being entertained, and fooled by a
magician.
Have you ever watched a Cirque du Soleil show? Its a wonderful
experience, seeing the incredible feats that the acrobats achieve. Most
people love to watch it, but dont have any desire to understand the
practice process that the acrobats go through, or the construction and
specifications of the springs, trampolines and wires that they use to
perform their show. Thats how the vast majority of people view
magic. They dont really want to understand how the magic tricks are
done.
2) Conscious incompetence
Because you are reading this blog, I assume that you are a bit
different from the people I have described above. You wanted more
from the magic tricks and magicians you watched. At first you didnt
have any technical knowledge of how any magic tricks were
performed, but the desire to explore and understand the secret of
magic was inside you.
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This thirst for more information often leads people to seek out the
skills they know they dont yet possess. You discovered that you have
a drive to investigate and learn magic. At this stage, most people will
spend a great deal of time theorising about how magic tricks are done.
They conduct searches online like How did David Blaine push a
needle through his arm? or How did Dynamo put a phone inside a
bottle?. They have the desire to learn magic, but lack enough
knowledge to perform it themselves.
Maybe you stumbled onto a magic shop website or discovered an

introductory book on magic in your local book shop? Perhaps you
met someone who was already performing magic, and he or she
showed you a few beginners tricks? The main difference is that you
became aware that there were skills that you could learn yourself. You
understood that YOU could also do the magic that you saw other
magicians perform. You began the process of becoming a magician.
3) Conscious competence
Im going to take a guess and say that you are now at this stage in the
process of becoming a magician. Youre in good company as most
people remain at this stage their whole lives. The majority of
magicians know a great deal about magic, yet they remain in a state of
conscious competence. They consume as much information about
magic as they can. They learn basic card magic technique, and build
up a range of self-working magic tricks and basic sleight of hand that
they practice on a regular basis. However, they never really feel that
they have mastered any of them to the point that they are automatic.
Do you find that performing a magic trick requires all your

concentration and effort? Although you can perform quite well whilst
practising alone, do you tend to freeze when it comes to performing to
other people? Do the mechanics of your magic tricks take up all your
attention and effort?
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If you find yourself identifying with these questions, I have some

good news for you. You are right on the verge of the final stage of
becoming a magician. You have the knowledge and technique, but
need the experience and practice to make the mechanics fully
automatic. To push past this, you simply need to narrow down your
material, focus on a small range of techniques and tricks, so that you
can practice them over and over again. Your magic practice should be
structured, consistent, and involve both solitary repetition and live
performance practice. The aim is to reach total familiarity with the
mechanics so that you can move beyond conscious awareness of
mechanical process. You cant do this if you are constantly jumping
from one new magic trick to the next. You have to commit to a limited
amount of material that you can repeat over and over until its
mastered.
4) Unconscious competence
Most professional magicians have a small set of magic tricks that they
call their working material. This has been practised and repeated to
the extent that it has become second nature. The magician is so
familiar with the mechanics that they can be performed whilst
executing another task, such as delivering a patter line, or reacting to
a spectators comments. This is the ultimate goal of a magicians
magic practice.
How many magic tricks do you know that have been mastered to this
extent? Perhaps none? Maybe just a handful? The ultimate goal in
magic practice is to build up a range of magic tricks that you have
unconscious competence over. The best way to do this is one trick at a
time. Why not choose just one of your favourite magic tricks, and
make the commitment to focus all your attention on it until it reaches
this stage of mastery? I guarantee that you will find this transforms
both your magic and your performance skills beyond anything you
ever dreamed possible.
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Audiences are smarter than you think

Im sure that this doesnt apply to you directly, but its an observation
that I sometimes see amongst magicians. As people start to learn
magic and develop their skills, they can develop a strange view about
what the public understands about magic, and what will fool them.
The more magicians study magic, the more

they grow to think that the public is stupid.
Have you ever heard a magician say:
Nobody ever catches me when I do this...
Your spectators will not notice this...
Become aware of these sayings, and you will start to hear them more
and more as you talk to magicians. You will also start to see them
mentioned in magic trick instructions (usually during a weak point in
a magic tricks method).
I have no idea why this happens, it could just be human nature. As
magicians gain experience and knowledge, its easy for them to
develop a feeling of self-importance, and an overly-relaxed attitude
about the observational skills of other people.
One of the biggest pitfalls to becoming a successful magician is
fooling yourself that your audiences dont have the intelligence or
attention to detail to spot parts of the mechanics used in magic tricks.
The temptation is to ignore the small details. Its as if magicians feel
that they have superhuman perception that normal people don't have.
Trust me, if you can spot the discrepancy or error in a magic trick that
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you have recorded in performance and watched back, some of your

spectators will also notice it. They may not point it out, or they may
become distracted by the flow of the trick and move on, but they
HAVE noticed it.
On the whole, people are very clever. A group can have intelligence
that is greater than the individuals that make up that group. Assume
your audience is highly-educated, clever and very hard to fool. Find
the weak points in the method of every magic trick you perform, and
work on changing them to remove the faults. It doesnt matter how
small, or hard to spot, a fault in a magic trick may be. If there are
clues to the secret of a magic trick, someone WILL spot them
eventually and call you out. Your goal is to tweak each magic trick to
reduce that chance as much as possible. Anything less than that is
taking a short-cut and compromising your potential to perform the
trick as best as you possibly can.
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Keeping your magic fresh

A few months ago, I updated my Macbook to the latest model. I
started it up, went through the welcome set-up and was confronted by
a brand new, factory default desktop that was full of possibilities.
There was no clutter, no random documents that I had forgotten about
and no bloatware apps hanging around. Everything was fast, new and
tidy. It felt like a fresh start, full of the productivity of possibilities.
Now, its a few months on, and things have changed. My documents
folder is stuffed full of half-written blog posts. There are stacks of
apps that I probably will never use. The laptop has lost its new and
shiny glow, becoming just my office for coffee-shop workdays.
Just like getting a new computer, buying a new car, or moving house.
That feeling of starting again and staying fresh never lasts. We get
used to things very quickly, and the excitement that new gives us is
fleeting.
The same thing happens with magic. Each new magic trick feels like a
new world of possibility. Its the focus of all your attention, and you
cant wait to perform it as much as possible. However, over the
process of practice, rehearsal and performance things change.
Familiarity doesnt always breed contempt. It usually just produces
boredom. Boredom leads to cutting corners, and pulling back the
energy that you communicated to your audience when you performed
the magic trick originally. How can we stop this from happening?
Things that have to stay the same still change

Take a look at one of the favourite magic tricks you have purchased.
Chances are you are performing it in a similar manner to the way it
was performed in the instructional DVD that came with the props, or
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how the magician who published it, tends to perform it. Its the
established routine that most magicians use.
However, over time you may have added your own expression to the
presentation. Your own one-liners, timing, back-story and moves.
Adaptations sometimes happen slowly as fellow magicians suggest
changes or additions, or spectators show you the impact moments in
performance, when an adjustment would improve their reactions. The
performance changes slowly over time. Theres a name for this:
Performance drift
Have you ever noticed how people that sell newspapers on the streets
have strange ways of shouting out the name of the newspaper? Or
how market stall owners shout out about their wares in a garbled way.
Its an example of performance drift taken to the extreme. They have
said the sentence so many times that it has started to degrade, and
they dont notice it themselves.
In just the same way, our own performance and presentation of a
magic trick degrades. Its just part of nature. Familiarity and repetition
slowly introduce tiny errors or short-cuts in our presentation and
patter. Its a very slow process, so often goes unnoticed because we
run on autopilot and have become bored with the magic trick.
Reset the Matrix

Every now and then, take time to go back to the beginning and start
again with the magic tricks you perform. Strip away all the experience
that you have acquired and look at the magic trick with the fresh eyes
of a magic beginner.
Identify all the changes that you have introduced through performance
and assess each one on its own merits. A great way to do this is to
keep a video diary of your performance. Over time, you can watch an
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early performance and a recent one and see what has become stronger,
and what has suffered from performance drift. Strip away all the
baggage that has been added to your presentation and reset the magic
trick to its core moves.
Once you have stripped away your additions, add only the strongest
changes and adaptations to create a fresh routine that is the best it can
be. If you try this out, I know you will be surprised by how much it
changes your presentation for the better.
You may love each and every magic trick that you have built up to be
of a performance standard, but part of the process of staying fresh as a
magician is to see past the love you have for a favourite magic trick,
and strip away everything you have build up. Once you do that, you
can recreate it again, using just the best parts. This process will allow
your magic to evolve over time without the atrophy that time applies.
Falling out of love is very enlightening. For a short while, you see
the world with new eyes. Iris Murdoch
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Setting goals
There is a common reason that many beginners lose interest in
practising to become a magician. They become disappointed in their
progress, which makes them feel like a failure.
Through the tuition that my team provides at the magic shop, I
noticed that the best way to push magicians past the quitting point,
is to teach them about setting practice goals for their magic.
First, I want to explain why setting a goal is so important to your
development as a magician. Lets start with a question:
Do you do it?
Do you set yourself defined goals for your development as a
magician? Most people dont plan the future, preferring to work on
their existing material, and building up their magic knowledge over
time in a random, undirected fashion. Most magicians start training
with a distant, undefined aim of becoming a skilled magician some
time in the future. Thats fine if you simply want to dabble at magic
training, but if you want to get the most out of your practice time,
then setting a goal can be a very powerful aid to your development. A
goal gives you an aim, and a direction of focus.
It is an expression of your WILL to make something you want
really happen.
Goals provide direction. Without choosing a goal, you run the risk of
never setting your sights on what you actually want from your magic
practice. A goal is a conscious decision to make something YOU want
happen. Without goals, its easy to work hard yet end up making
nothing happen at all. Lack of direction may lead you to be forever
jumping from one unfinished magic trick to the next, endlessly failing
to commit to true mastery of any magic skills until all you experience
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is a sense of disappointment, failure, and loss of interest in the

practice.
The good news is that it is easy to avoid this situation. To avoid
feeling like you are not making the progress you deserve, lets look at
some easy steps for setting and most importantly achieving your
goals as a magician.
Just little steps at first

I highly recommend that you start off with a small goal. Choosing
something too big can make it seem impossible and unrealistic.
Feeling that you have set an impossible goal for yourself can lead to
you giving up way before you reach it. Even a journey of a thousand
miles starts with just a single step. I know its tempting to say
something like Im going to master sleight of hand with cards! Just
remember that a card expert is made one trick at a time. Instead, why
not start with a smaller goal, like mastering the Elmsley Count, or
building a working Three Shells And A Pea routine, and then add to it
once you have achieved it?
Dont overcomplicate the issue

Be careful you dont confuse the issue by only looking at the distant
future. There are actually two main kinds of goals: short-term and
long-term.
Long-term goals are the bigger picture. It may be something that you
want to achieve in a few years time. Long-term goals can often be
broken down into a series of short-term goals that eventually
complete the long-term goal. The secret of success is to define a longterm goal, then break it into a series of short-term goals that will lead
you to the long-term win. That way, you dont overcomplicate the
path to achieving what you want. For example, a long-term goal
might be: master sleight of hand with playing cards. Thats a very
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complex goal as it has so many parts needed to achieve it. Keep your
magic practice simple, and take things in stages: My first goal is to
master a convincing double lift technique. As soon as that goal has
been reached, move on to the next short-term goal: I will learn to
classic palm playing cards.
Choose a long-term goal, and write it on a piece of paper. Now start
listing the short-term goals that are needed to complete the long-term
goal.
Be realistic
Pay attention to your own strengths as a magician, and face your
limitations at the same time. If you are a very serious person, a longterm goal of becoming a comedy magician may not be realistic. You
may find it much easier to be successful as a serious mentalist or cardcheating expert. Its great to dream, but be realistic in the dreams that
you decide to put into practice. Understanding your own natural
abilities and finding goals that compliment them is an important part
of the development process.
Dont be a dog that chases parked cars

Are you picking goals based upon what you want, or what other
people think you should do? Make sure that the goal you decide to
work towards is really what you want to make happen. I studied to
become a Clinical Psychologist. Everyone told me I would be great at
it. I went to university and began working towards that goal. It was
only after several years training that I came to realise that it wasnt
MY choice of the future I wanted. I loved magic, and wanted that to
be my life. I made the commitment to find work as a magician and
build a magic business. By selecting my dreams and not those of my
friends and family I achieved that goal, and feel so lucky to wake up
each day to do something I love.
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Remind yourself regularly

Setting a goal is just the beginning. Its easy to spend an evening
making lists of your short-term goals, then putting that list away
forever. Once you have defined and set a goal, make sure that you find
ways to remind yourself regularly about it. Carry a list of your shortterm goals in your wallet or bag, make it your screen saver, the home
screen of your smartphone, even write it on your bedroom wall! Make
sure you are reminded of your goal every single day. Some magicians
write their goals on a playing card and keep that in their pocket
wherever they go. Each evening and morning when they unload their
pockets, they find the playing card and get reminded of their goals.
Keep the list moving

Short-term goals often come together to form a long-term goal. Make
a list of your goals, and group them together. Break your long-term
goals into achievable short-term goals and place them in an order that
you can work on them to complete the larger objective. The long-term
goal may be to learn the Cups And Balls to a performance standard.
The short-term goals would be the individual steps needed to make
that happen, including buying a Cups And Balls set, mastering
loading and stealing, mastering the misdirection, perfecting an
interesting presentation, developing the timing etc. etc.
Make it happen when it needs to do so

It doesnt matter how many goals you set, where you write them
down, or how often you think about them. Unless you pick ONE
short-term goal and start working on it, its all for nothing. Look at
your list of goals and decide which is the most important to you.
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Remember that the longer a goal stays un-actioned on your list, the
more time it will take to achieve it.
Setting a goal is really about setting a deadline. Without a time
limit, there is no motivation to work on the steps needed to
achieve your goal.
Get help by asking the right questions

Nobody can do everything themselves. Find help from people that can
move you closer to your goals. By defining each step as a goal, it
becomes easy to know exactly which questions to get answered, or
what form of help you need. I often get asked Which magic trick
should I learn next? That question is not very useful because it has
no goal attached to it. Asking I want to be known as a mind-reader,
which trick should I work on next? allows me to understand the goal
behind the question, and the advice I give is much more valuable
because it has a direction towards the goal behind it.
One year from now

I maintain that taking the time to sit down and list your goals is one of
the most positive steps you can make to becoming a successful
magician. It applies to all aspects of magic, from learning new tricks,
right through to marketing your services. As you put this into practice,
and see the result is having on your focus, and the speed of your
progress, you will never look back!
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Staying motivated
Magic tricks can be hard work. The process of studying, practising
and performing magic tricks can be a lot to take on. More often than
not, it can result in hitting a brick wall and losing the motivation to
carry on and persist. Here's some advice from professional magician
and magic creator Ben Williams:
If it is no longer enjoyable then why continue the process of
learning, practising and then performing your magic tricks?
There are a few reasons why you may feel like this and we can
identify these reasons and what to do to overcome them so that you
can once again happily go about performing your magic tricks to your
family and friends.
Sean asked me:

Ive been doing magic tricks since I was seven, but I feel as if Im not
going anywhere. I have put too much money and devotion into
learning my magic tricks and I was wondering if you could
recommend anything to help me get better?
It may feel as if you have hit a bit of a rut with your magic tricks, we
have a few suggestions to help get yourself out of that rut and keep it
fresh:
1) Remember
Firstly, try to remember what made you begin learning magic tricks in
the first place. Remind yourself of the feeling of amazement and
excitement when you first saw a magic trick that seemed impossible.
Hold onto this feeling and use it as motivation, it is a positive feeling
that can help re-vitalise your hunger for this art form. Maybe dig out
some old DVDs or video clips of some magic tricks that once inspired
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you and re-watch them, try to capture that spark that was once ignited.
Change your emotions when you think of magic tricks to that of
excitement and ambition, as opposed to frustration and helplessness.
This is stage one reclaiming your passion.
2) Feel
Next you may find that the magic tricks you are performing dont feel
right or suit your style. This can result in nervous and uncomfortable
performances. This is a common issue, but it is important that, once
you have identified that you are experiencing this issue, you address
it. Ask yourself honestly what magic tricks you would like to perform
then you can focus your attention on that area of study. However, it is
also important to be realistic with your goals and to make sure your
goals are achievable. There is no point trying to attempt advanced
gambling sleights if you have not learned the basics first. If you are
focused and patient, then results will come. Look at your own
strengths and weaknesses, what makes you comfortable and what
makes you uncomfortable. When you are honest with yourself about
this, you will be able to make positive changes and improvements to
technique and confidence will come. This is stage two being honest
with yourself in order to set achievable goals.
3) Play
Once you have re-invigorated your passion for your magic tricks and
identified what magic tricks you want to study, it is time to put this
into practice. You should feel sparky, willing to persist and have a
more positive overall mind set towards your magic tricks, so now is
the time to look at your practice regime. If you have a practice routine
that is fun and enjoyable for your magic tricks, it can make a world of
difference.
If you find that you are struggling with a certain magic trick or sleight
then it is important to return to the book or DVD where you originally
learned it. Re-watch the tutorial to see if there are any obvious
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mistakes you are perpetuating, sometimes all it takes is a finger tip to

be in the wrong place and this can make a certain move or magic trick
impossible.
If you are sure you are performing the sleights correctly then it is just
a matter of practice. Your practice sessions do not have to be long and
laboured, in fact they should be the opposite, quick bursts of a few
minutes practice regularly. Do two to five minutes of practice in the
morning and a couple of times throughout the evening rather than
extended periods of practice. If you have a deck of cards by your bed,
near the TV, in the kitchen, wherever you may find yourself regularly,
then whenever you have a moment of downtime you can pick up the
deck and do a quick two-minute practice run. This will help to keep
your practice sessions vibrant and will ultimately be better for
learning and remembering the motor skills involved in performing
your magic tricks. This is stage three keeping your practice sessions
fresh.
If you follow these three steps, then you should be well on your way
out of the rut you are experiencing! All that is left to do is to find a
willing spectator and perform! Also remember, spending loads of
money on magic will not automatically make you a good magician. It
is great to have knowledge, but the great magician inside of you needs
focus and drive to flourish. Being focused and driven is easy when
you have fun and enjoy what you are doing.
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The practice plateau

As magicians, we need to commit to a routine of magic practice, both
to develop new material, and also to stay sharp and fresh with our
working acts. However, sometimes we can be practising as hard as
ever but seem to be treading water and making no progress.
Its in your head

Sometimes we can create our own problems within a magic trick, or
with part of the practice. These problems may be tiny errors, or
adjustments that we become completely focused on, and in our minds
they become huge road blocks. We may obsess over the timing of a
sleight, or the exact placement of an object on our close-up mats.
These fixations can become all-consuming and much of our practice
time becomes devoted to working on them, to the detriment of the rest
of the routine.
Its important to examine your whole practice program, making sure
that you dont fixate on aspects that may not be a good use of your
time. To help prevent this, we recommend that you drill the WHOLE
routine repeatedly, rather than working on single moves one at a time.
The aim is to develop the complete routine together as a single
performance, rather than as modules that combine to create the magic
trick.
Unreal practice
When you have a boring or repetitive task to do, everything becomes
a distraction. Its easy to spot distractions like TV, music, Facebook
etc., but those are not the most dangerous because they are so
noticeable.
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The most dangerous distractions are those that feel like real work!
You may be devoting many hours each day to your magic, but how
are you really spending the time? Watching magic DVDs, reading
magic magazines, sorting out and cataloguing your magic props is not
practising.
Research on the internet is not practising.

Reading this book is not practising.
Make sure that you set aside a dedicated practice time, planned out in
advance. This practice time should be work on a specific magic trick,
with no other distractions. By doing this, you will find that you need
to spend far less time on your magic as the work is applied where it
really counts.
Getting help from a magic teacher

Just about every sporting professional makes use of a coach.
Coaching isnt a luxury, or just a way to motivate the student to
practice. Coaching allows a third-party, who is detached from the
learning process, to examine the whole practice program from an
emotional distance. The coach cuts through all the distractions and
imaginary problems that can suck up practice time. By using a third
party to oversee your magic practice, you stay on track over time and
work towards ONE goal, avoiding distractions.
If you find yourself making no progress in your magic practice, it may
help to book a single session of personal magic tuition. This session
isnt to learn more magic tricks (you probably already know enough).
The goal of the coaching session is to look at your current progress,
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oversee your practice program and identify problems that you may
not notice yourself as you are too close to the process.
Find a magic coach that you can trust to give you professional tuition.
Ask them to watch your current material and give you HONEST
feedback.
If you cant afford a professional magic coach, you can ask a trusted
friend or your partner to help you stay focused on the practice
program you set yourself. The important thing is that you have
someone independent to keep you on track.
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Practising coin magic
My main passion in magic is work with coins, so Ive included this

short chapter to cover some tips to help speed up your coin practice
work.
Its a sad fact that so many magic beginners are put off from trying to
learn coin magic. They find the learning curve at the beginning far too
hard. Most magic coin tricks that dont rely on gimmicked coins force
you to face up to a big scary monster called sleight of hand. With so
many magic tricks available that have special devices (called
gimmicks), its never been easier to bury your head in the sand and
pretend that sleight of hand doesnt exist.
Whats wrong with that? Well, it means you have to be a consumer of
other peoples magic.
Mastering at least some of those core moves is an incredibly valuable
way to use your practice time. Being able to perform a few killer
tricks, just with the coins in your pocket means:
Freedom from being dependent on expensive props and
gimmicks;
You can perform at a moments notice, wherever you are;
The ability to borrow objects (the coins) from a spectator and
create magic with them;
You gain a set of utility moves that allow you to create your own
unique routines;
You gain balance within your act.
Here are a few quick tips that will help you speed up the learning
process:
Choose the right coins
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If you are in the UK, then a good coin to start with is the UK 2p coin.
It is easy to palm. The small and sharply-defined edge makes it easy
to grip. For a larger coin, go for the UK 2 coin as it has a good size
and edge. The downside with the 2 coin is its thickness and weight,
which can slow down progress. The 2 Euro coin is also a good choice,
and for magicians in the US, the half-dollar is the most popular
choice.
Commit to practice everywhere

One of the best features of coin magic is that it can be performed just
about anywhere. In fact, you can practice moving a coin in and out of
a range of palms and concealments, without even having to take your
hand out of your jacket or coat pocket.
Start right away with the Classic Palm

Its one of the hardest to master, but its also the king of all coin
moves. The sooner you start work on the Classic Palm the better.
Palm Pass Vanish

The ideal first set of sleights to focus on would be one from each of
the categories of coin magic. We suggest choosing the Classic Palm,
then a good pass, such as the Shuttle Pass, and finally a decent vanish
like the Retention Of Vision Vanish. By choosing just one move from
each of these categories of sleights, you work on just three sleights at
a time. Because each is from a different category of sleights, you can
combine them together to create a number of full routines.
Transfers and transitions
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Its also important to work on how you get into and out of each move.
Once a coin has been vanished, you will want to move it over to
another concealment, and this transfer needs to be undetectable. In the
example of the Retention Of Vision Vanish, the coin will be in a
specific position after the vanish has taken place. Practice how you go
into Classic Palm from that position.
Use a cyclical One Coin Routine for practice

There are several cyclical One Coin Routines in print that use the core
moves and run through a series of productions and vanishes. David
Roth teaches some excellent one coin work in his books and DVDs.
Once you have a few moves, choose a routine that you can drill, and
practice it every day. The routine repeats endlessly, so there is no
sense of a start or ending. These routines tend to cause people to
practice much more as there is an automatic flow into running through
it just one more time.
Slow motion as you go through the moves

Fast is not deceptive in sleight of hand. Its confusing and suspicious.
In practice, its also the quickest way to make very little progress.
Your goal is to teach your fingers the movements and touch needed
for each move.
The slower you go, when running through the moves, the more you
can check that each movement is perfect. Dont make any deliberate
effort to speed up. Speed will happen over time on its own.
When to use a mirror and when not to

Mirror work in coin magic IS needed to check that your angles are
correct and that a placement is exactly where it should be. However,
once you have that move perfected in front of a mirror, you will need
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to start practising without one. There is a danger that you will become
dependent on the visual feedback the mirror gives you, and will not
have confidence that a sleight looked correct unless you are able to
see the move happen yourself. Make sure you practice in front of a
mirror at first. Once you have the placement and angles, its time to
practice it blind.
Don't hide the action

Most coin work requires you to hold a coin at the fingertips and
manipulate it. A common mistake that beginners face, is that they tend
to put too many fingers in the way. The fingers that are not holding the
coin could hide all the actions. This might look fine from their
viewpoint (behind the trick), but for the spectators, its confusing and
suspicious. Any unused fingers need to be out the way of the action. If
your hands are palm down, whenever possible, the palms should be
visible to show there is nothing hiding in your hands. Your fingers
should be just a little apart. A hand that looks as if it could conceal
something is often thought to BE concealing something, even though
you may know its totally innocent.
Watch your eyes are not giving it away

Its so hard to stop the truth from showing in your eyes. Especially if,
you are used to only practising in front of a mirror. Many beginners
find that they half-close their eyes when performing a sleight. Its
almost as if they dont want to see that the move has happened. As
though if they cant see it, the spectators wont be able to see it either.
Moving away from mirror practice to rehearsal will help remove this
tendency.
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Words to avoid
I want to talk to you about language. The words you use when you
perform your magic tricks and how you can improve them to get a
better reaction from your audience. Its specifically about using the
wrong words.
What are the wrong words?

Every word that you use, when you perform a magic trick, counts. It
sets the stage for the magic, defines your character, moves the action
forward and ensures the spectator understands what should happen,
and what did actually happen. It also signals to the spectator, how
they should react to the trick. Any words that dont perform these
actions are clutter and should be removed from your script as much as
possible.
Magicians instructions
As magicians, we are so used to reading about magic tricks, going
through the instructions and talking with other magicians, that we
forget our spectators are not the same. They arent immersed in the
language of magic.
Approach a spectator, pull out your Bicycle playing cards and tell
them:
Say stop as I riffle through the deck.
What on earth is a riffle? The spectator never uses that word, and
probably has no inclination to do so. Swap it for something like this:
As I go through the playing cards, say stop at any time.
Thats a much better line. It doesnt assume any previous knowledge
of magic from the audience.
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Asking a spectator to:

Cut the top half of the deck, please.
Again, what exactly is a cut and whats the top half of the deck?
Its clear to us as magicians, but these assumptions of prior
knowledge in your patter cause the spectator to pause for just a
moment, to check internally that they understand what you are asking
of them. Simplifying the language you use in your instructions will
improve the pace and flow of your magic and the clarity of the trick
for the spectator.
Call a spade a spade

As much as possible, check that you are not referring to items by their
magic names. Lets say the magician is about to perform some card
tricks. He asks the spectator to sign a card and wrap the playing cards
up in a silk:
Please pick up the Sharpie, sign the front of the deck and then wrap
it up in the silk.
For just a second, these questions jump into the spectators mind:
1) Whats a Sharpie? Oh, he meant the pen!
2) Sign? He wants me to write on the playing card?
3) Front of the deck? Is that the top card? But where on the card?
4) What is a Silk? Does he mean that piece of cloth on the table?
The spectator now has four questions to process, and confusion can
jump in at any step.
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Introducing a magic trick

OK, heres a bit of magic for you.
Using the word bit, makes the trick sound like something less that
awesome. Its dismissive and almost apologetic. Instead, say
something like:
Heres something very strange for you.
or:
Let me show you something I think you will really like.
Another common mistake is to use the word effect.

Let me show you this magic effect.
Nobody, other than magicians, calls magic tricks effects. Save that,
for when you are talking to other magicians. Instead, refer to the trick
as magic or a magic trick.
Patronising
Please, sign your name here. Brilliant!
Please take a card, great job!
Brilliant, Fantastic, Amazing, Great!
Its so tempting to add this as some kind of little reward for the
spectator after every action they perform.
You put the lid back on the pen! AWESOME!!!
This is simply clutter and adds nothing to the presentation. Unless you
are specifically trying to be funny, this gives a message to the
spectator that you thought he or she was incapable of performing
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these simple tasks. Instead, just say Thanks and move on with the
trick.
Its likely that you may now notice that you use these words when
performing. Filming your magic performances can help you identify
these habits, so you can work to remove them.
Redundant sentences and clichs

We all do it. We all use the same stock lines, when talking to
spectators. After all, we grew up watching magic and learning the way
a magician acts. However, taking a moment to study what you say,
and choosing alternatives to these common phrases, will dramatically
change how you are perceived by your audience.
Here, are some of the most popular clichs that should be avoided:
And now, for my next trick... Just get on with it. When you end a
trick and start another, its obvious to everyone. There is no need to
tell everyone that you are starting a new trick.
And with luck... Telling a spectator that the trick requires luck to
end correctly, is a huge fat signal that you are not confident with your
technique. The trick works because of magic, not luck.
Are you sure? This is common. You ask them to pick a card then
ask them if they want to change their mind. Why? As a magician, you
want to let them know that they could have picked ANY card. But
they already know that, as you asked them to do just that, a moment
ago. Just accept their first decision and move on with the trick.
Adding doubt to the spectators mind that they picked the right card is
a distraction from the card trick. Unless your card tricks are
specifically about the nature of free will or influence, making the
spectator question each of their choices serves no real purpose and
adds nothing but fluff.
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So, now I am going to... Dont introduce each of your actions. Just
do them. The spectators dont need a running commentary about your
future actions. They are there in front of you to experience the trick
for themselves.
Is that fair? By asking a spectator to judge what should be a simply
innocent action, you create doubt and a challenge mentality. The
spectator is invited to think:
Why wouldnt the action be fair?
Did I just miss something sneaky?
Should I care at all?
These common mistakes that magicians make often just spring from
assuming the spectator has prior knowledge of magic. Thats often
fine if you perform mainly to other magicians, but even magicians
will appreciate good language. In fact, they will probably notice it just
as much, as they compare your presentation to their own.
Its very hard to remove these negative words from your

presentation if you dont script your magic. Watch some performances
of magicians who favour the ad-lib, jazz style of magic and you
will often find their patter is full of these lines. We highly recommend
that you start creating a script for each of your tricks. As you become
aware of mistakes like these you can remove them, scripting your
magic down to only what is essential for the trick to work. Once you
have this habit, you will find that you can ad-lib in a more powerful
and meaningful way.
Do this:
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A better way to practice

By Noa Kageyama, Ph.D.
While it may be true that there are no short-cuts to anywhere worth

going, there certainly are ways of needlessly prolonging the journey.
Magicians often waste lots of time because nobody ever taught them
the most effective and efficient way to practise their magic. Whether
its learning how to code, improving your writing skills, or learning
card tricks, practising the right way can mean the difference between
good and great.
You have probably heard the old joke about the tourist who asks a cab
driver how to get to Carnegie Hall, only to be told: Practise, practise,
practise!
My first experience of practice was when I starting to play the violin

at age two, and for as long as I can remember, there was one question
which haunted me every day.
Am I practising enough?
What do performers say?
I scoured books and interviews with great artists, looking for a

consensus on practice time that would ease my conscience. I read an
interview with Rubinstein, in which he stated that nobody should
have to practise more than four hours a day. He explained that if you
needed that much time, you probably werent doing it right.
And then there was violinist Nathan Milstein who once asked his
teacher Leopold Auer how many hours a day he should be practising.
Auer responded by saying Practise with your fingers and you need
all day. Practise with your mind and you will do as much in one and a
half hours.
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Even Heifetz indicated that he never believed in practising too much,

and that excessive practice is just as bad as practising too little!. He
claimed that he practised no more than three hours per day on
average, and that he didnt practise at all on Sundays.
It seemed that four hours should be enough. So I breathed easy for a

bit. And then I learned about the work of Dr. K. Anders Ericsson.
What do psychologists say?
When it comes to understanding expertise and expert performance,

psychologist Dr. Ericsson is perhaps the worlds leading authority. His
scientific research is the basis for the 10,000-hour rule which
suggests that it requires at least ten years and/or 10,000 hours of
deliberate practice to achieve an expert level of performance in any
given domain.
Thats a pretty big number. So large, that at first I missed the most
important factor in the equation.
Deliberate practice.
Meaning, that there is a specific type of practice that facilitates the

attainment of an elite level of performance. And then theres the other
kind of practice that most of us are more familiar with.
Mindless practice.
Have you ever observed a magician (or athlete, actor, trial attorney)
engage in practice? Youll notice that most practice resembles one of
the following distinct patterns.
1) Broken record method: This is where we simply repeat the same

thing over and over. Same tennis serve. Same set of cuts and shuffles.
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Same powerpoint presentation. From a distance it might look like

practice, but much of it is simply mindless repetition.
2) Autopilot method: This is where we activate our autopilot system

and coast. Recite our sales pitch three times. Play a round of golf. Run
through a complete magic routine from start to finish.
3) Hybrid method: Then theres the combined approach. Going

through a routine until you hit something you dont like, at which
point you stop, repeat the moves over and over until it starts to look
better, and then resume the routine until you find the next thing you
dont like, at which point you repeat the whole process over again.
Three problems
Unfortunately, there are three problems with practising this way.
1) Its a waste of time: Why? For one, very little productive learning
takes place when we practise this way. This is why you can practise
something for hours, days, or weeks, and still not improve all that
much. Even worse, you are actually digging yourself a hole, because
this model of practising strengthens undesirable habits and errors,
increasing the likelihood of more consistently inconsistent
performances.
This also makes it more difficult to clean up these bad habits as time
goes on so you are adding to the amount of future practice time you
will need in order to eliminate these undesirable tendencies. To quote
a professor I once worked with: Practice doesnt make perfect,
practice makes permanent.
2) It makes you less confident: In addition, practising mindlessly

lowers your confidence, as a part of you realizes you dont really
know how to produce the results you are looking for. Even if you
have a fairly high success rate in the most difficult moves, theres a
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sense of uncertainty deep down that just wont go away.
Real on-stage confidence comes from (a) being able to nail it

consistently, (b) knowing that this isnt a coincidence but that you can
do it correctly on demand, because (c) you know precisely why you
nail it or miss it i.e. you have identified the key technical or
mechanical factors that are necessary to perform the trick perfectly
every time.
3) It is mind-numbingly dull: Practising mindlessly is a chore.

Weve all had well-meaning fellow magicians tell us to go home and
practise your Elmsley Count x number of times, or to practise x
number of hours, right? But why are we measuring success in units of
practice time? What we need are more specific results-oriented
outcome goals such as, practise this move until it looks natural, or
practise this sleight until you can figure out how to make it lead
perfectly into ABC.
Deliberate practice
So what is the alternative? Deliberate, or mindful practice is a

systematic and highly-structured activity, that is, for lack of a better
word, more scientific. Instead of mindless trial and error, it is an
active and thoughtful process of hypothesis-testing where we
relentlessly seek solutions to clearly-defined problems.
Deliberate practice is often slow, and involves repetition of small and

very specific sections of a skill instead of just running through the
whole trick. For example, you might work on just the first sleight of
an Ambitious Card routine to make sure that it looks exactly the way
you want, instead of performing the entire first revelation that the
playing card is now at the top of the deck.
Deliberate practice also involves monitoring ones performance in

real-time and via recordings continually looking for new ways to
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improve. This means being observant and keenly aware of what

happens, so that you can tell yourself exactly what went wrong. For
instance, was the first turn over too fast? Too elaborate? Too
controlled? Too close to the body? Too low down?
Lets say that when you turned the playing card over, it was too fast
and looked like you were trying to hide something. Well, how fast
was it? A little? A lot? What should the movement look like in its
real, natural form? How much more speed did you add when
mimicking the real natural movement?
OK, the move was a little fast, just a tiny bit rushed, and required a
more clear and natural-looking gesture with your finger and thumb in
order to be consistent with the natural movement. So, why was the
move fast? What did you do? What do you need to do instead to make
sure the move is perfectly paced every time? How do you ensure that
the speed is just as you want it to be, and how do you get a consistent
speed each time you begin the sleight?
Now, lets imagine you video recorded each trial repetition, and could
watch the last attempt. Does that combination of ingredients give you
the desired result? Does that combination of elements convey the
natural movement you are attempting to mimic?
If this sounds like a lot of work, thats because it is. Which might
explain why few take the time to practice this way. To stop, analyse
what went wrong, why it happened, and how they can produce
different results the next time.
Simple though it may sound, it took me years to figure this out. Yet it
remains the most valuable and enduring lesson I have ever had. The
principles of deliberate practice have remained relevant no matter
what skill I must learn next. Be it the practice of psychology, building
an audience for a blog, parenting, or making the perfect smoothie,
how I spend my practice time remains more important than how much
time I spend practising.
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How to accelerate skill development
Here are the five principles I would want to share with a younger
version of myself. I hope you find something of value on this list as
well.
1) Focus is everything: Keep practice sessions limited to a duration

that allows you to stay focused. This may be as short as 10-20
minutes, and as long as 45-60+ minutes.
2) Timing is everything, too: Keep track of times during the day

when you tend to have the most energy. This may be first thing in the
morning, or right before lunch. Try to do your practising during these
naturally productive periods, when you are able to focus and think
most clearly. What to do in your naturally unproductive times? I say
take a guilt-free nap.
3) Dont trust your memory: Use a practice notebook. Plan out your
practice, and keep track of your practice goals and what you discover
during your practice sessions. The key to getting into the flow when
practising is to constantly strive for clarity of intention. Have a crystal
clear idea of what you want (e.g. the movement you want to perfect,
or specific articulation, intonation, etc. that youd like to be able to
execute consistently in the tricks patter), and be relentless in your
search for ever better solutions.
When you stumble onto a new insight or discover a solution to a

problem, write it down! As you practice more mindfully, youll began
making so many micro-discoveries that you will need written
reminders to remember them all.
4) Smarter, not harder: When things arent working, sometimes we

simply have to practice more. And then there are times when it means
we have to go in a different direction.
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Dominic Reyes told me about the time he started learning the Bottle
Through Table trick. For some reason, he just wasnt getting the right
misdirection at the critical moment of the trick and couldnt find a
way to build it into the style of the trick that preceded it. He kept
getting busted. It would have been very easy for him to simply
abandon the trick and add something else to his act at that point. He
kept at it, but didnt seem to be making progress and started to dread
performing it.
Instead of stubbornly persisting with a strategy that clearly wasnt

working, he forced himself to stop. He brainstormed solutions to the
problem for a day or two, and wrote down ideas as they occurred to
him. When he had a list of some promising solutions, he started
experimenting.
He eventually came up with a solution that worked, and its now one
of the tricks he enjoys performing the most.
5) Stay on target with a problem-solving model: Its extraordinarily

easy to drift into mindless practice mode. Keep yourself on task using
the six-step problem-solving model below:
Define the problem. (What result did I just get? What do I want
this move to look like instead?)
Analyse the problem. (What is causing it to sound like this?)
Identify potential solutions. (What can I tweak to make it look
more like I want?)
Test the potential solutions and select the most effective one.
(What tweaks seem to work best?)
Implement the best solution. (Reinforce these tweaks to make the
changes permanent.)
Monitor implementation. (Do these changes continue to produce
the results Im looking for?)
Make your time count

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It doesnt matter if we are talking about perfecting card technique,

improving your coin work, becoming a better mentalist, improving
your marketing skills, or becoming a more effective pick-pocket.
Life is short. Time is our most valuable commodity. If youre going to

practice, you might as well do it right.
This article is an edited version of an original article by Noa

Kageyama, Ph.D. It has been reproduced and edited in parts to relate
to the subject of magic practice, with the permission of the author.
About Noa Kageyama, Ph.D.
Sport & performance psychologist Dr. Noa Kageyama serves on the

faculty of The Juilliard School and the New World Symphony, where
he specializes in teaching performing artists how to utilize sport
psychology principles to perform up to their abilities under stress.
Also a conservatory-trained violinist with degrees from Juilliard and

Oberlin. Dr. Kageyamas work has been featured in media outlets
ranging from The Wall Street Journal to Musical America.
I highly recommend you visit his excellent website Bulletproof

Musician. Although written specifically for musicians, it has a wealth
of information that will improve your magic practice.
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10 tips to improve your practice

1) Choose just one trick at a time
Most magic shops would love you to constantly buy each new trick
they market. But unless you are already at an intermediate or
advanced skill level, this may not be the wisest move. Choose just one
trick, and work on nothing else until its mastered. Only then, should
you move onto your next trick to master.
2) Practise
Everyday, in small quick sessions. Many experts recommend the drill
principle: running through the moves 20 times in the morning and 20
times at night for 20 days. If you cant do that, just try to do 10
minutes practice every day. Short regular sessions are best.
3) Dont practise in silence

Make sure you talk as you practise. Do you find you tend to freeze
when you perform a move in front of people? Saying the words
provides cues for the moves and really helps prevent this.
4) Rehearse
Dont just run through the moves quickly. Perform the whole magic
trick from start to finish, imagining its a real performance. Do this
just as much as you practise the mechanics of the trick.
5) Slow it all down

Slow is far better than fast. Sudden quick moves raise suspicion.
Chances are the speed you feel naturally comfortable at is still too
fast.
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6) Check it looks real

When considering learning a new sleight, make sure it looks natural.
Do the action for real, then adjust the sleight to match your real
gesture or movement as much as possible. For example: really turn a
playing card over, then make sure it looks the same when you just
pretend to do so. Avoid obscure moves that look pretty but nothing
like real-life actions.
7) Check it looks effortless

Work on looking relaxed and happy when you execute a move. Make
sure you dont hesitate, close your eyes or look guilty as you perform
it. Videoing your performance is a great way to spot this.
8) Make sure its clear and visible

Look at your hand positions. Are you covering up the action with
your fingers or the backs of your hands? Work on a light touch,
showing as much as possible to all around you.
9) Reduce all unneeded movements

Go over your routine removing pauses that dont add to the trick.
Cut out any gestures or movements that may be totally innocent, but
actually make the spectator think something suspicious may have
happened.
10) Actually perform it live

Seriously, you will develop your technique way beyond anything you
can learn in private, once you start showing people your magic live.
Dont fall into the trap of performing only on YouTube. That will stop
you getting real feedback from your audiences reactions. Instead,
91
show your family and friends your work once its ready and you will
improve it way beyond what you thought was possible.
92
Practice to remove guilt

Guilt is something every person has to deal with at some point when
studying sleight of hand and magic tricks. Simply because you have
to lie to your spectators faces about what you are doing sometimes.
Simple statements like, well lose your card in the deck or, if I place
the coin in my hand sound easy to say. However, these statements
can be tougher to say convincingly whilst performing your sleight of
hand.
Telegraphing
Another common issue with guilt can be the guilt of performing
sleight of hand in general. Some moves (especially ones that you
worry about performing) may become apparent to a spectator simply
because you are telegraphing the fact that you are performing a
sleight. You must learn to feel at ease with all the sleights you
perform. If you feel guilty when performing a move like a shuttlepass or false transfer it will only give the spectators more chance to
catch you out. The more you worry about the move, the more you
transmit through non-verbal communication that you are doing
something fishy.
When you have to perform a move you are worried about, the body
tenses up and you may stutter or hesitate. You may even become
slightly more withdrawn and look at the cards or your hands instead
of the spectator. All these subconscious clues tell the spectator that
something dodgy is about to happen. Relax and believe you are doing
what they think you are doing, and it will all become easier and more
enjoyable!
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The solution to magicians guilt

If you have guilt about doing something secretly in your pocket, like
loading a box, or switching an item, and you really dont want to draw
attention to it, then there really is only one answer for this: practice!
Practise the load or switch over and over again, and also make sure
you practise in the clothing you will be performing in. If you practise
in baggy clothing, and are wearing tighter clothing when you perform
it can really make a difference with the handling. Use pocket
management. Try to look at where things are in your pockets, or if
there is another pocket you have that it would work equally well with
but be less fiddly.
If you are fidgeting and people pay attention to it, simply joke and
say, sorry I am not being rude, I just have so many things in my
pockets, like fairy dust, and whatchamacallits, I cannot find my little
box! A simple comment like that, and they will be thinking you have
all manner of things in your pockets, so the fidgeting is now justified.
People dont really know what a magician has in their pockets! You
can help to draw attention away from your pockets by asking the
spectators to do something at the same time. Ask the spectator a
question, or hand them something like the deck of playing cards to
shuffle. Any action will buy you a few more critical seconds.
Once you are practised, and up to speed with all of your sleight of
hand and routines, then all you need to do is perform, the guilt will
disappear. You can always justify it by telling yourself that you cannot
give someone the wonderful experience of magic without a little
white lie here and there!
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What to do when you get caught

Phil asked me:
I am having confidence issues when I perform magic tricks that use a
gimmick. What if the magic tricks secrets are exposed by mistake?
What should I do or say if the magic trick fails?
This is a situation that is by no means unique to Phil. In fact, you are

probably still reading this post because at some point you have
experienced this very same feeling. You have bought a brand new
magic trick, set about learning how to perform it, and then out of
nowhere you lose confidence in the trick and your own ability to
prevent the magic tricks secrets from being exposed or going wrong.
Some of the time, this loss of confidence leads you to abandon the
trick altogether.
So why does this happen?

You CARE.
You care about your performance and want it to be the best it can be.
You dont want there to be ANY chance that the magic tricks secrets
are exposed by mistake. For that to happen, you know you have to
make sure everything is just perfect. For everything to be perfect, you
need to be in control.
Control is one of the main differences between magic tricks that rely
on sleight of hand and magic tricks that use a gimmick. The success
of a pure sleight of hand trick relies almost entirely on you as a
performer. Generally speaking, the more time you put into rehearsing
your moves, the more control you will have over the mechanics of the
trick in performance.
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Gimmicks, on the other hand, represent risk. In order to clean up a

routine or achieve something that looks genuinely impossible, you put
your faith in a gimmick to do some (or all!) of the work. You are
giving up some control for the promise of a better, more amazing
piece of magic. If the gimmick fails during a rehearsal and the magic
tricks secrets are exposed, it can make you less confident that it will
work in performance. You start to feel that by including the
gimmicked trick in your set, you are risking an imperfect performance
and that you would be better off looking for a new, more reliable
magic trick to perform instead.
Feeding the beast

If you lose confidence in a magic trick at the rehearsal stage, you may
never find out if the gimmick works in performance because it is too
risky to try. You decide not to perform your new magic trick, and
instead tell yourself that you will learn from this experience. You
dont want to waste your time and money again on another
impractical magic trick. You raise your guard. The next time you
buy a trick you scrutinise the method closely, drawing on your
experience to decide whether or not this new magic trick is worth
pursuing. You may even find yourself discarding the new magic trick
before you have even rehearsed it because you just know it wont
work 100% of the time. You tell yourself it is not worth bothering
with and move on.
And so it continues
Breaking the cycle

You have decided that your gimmick is worth working on and you
take it with you the next time you perform. In the back of your mind,
an uneasy feeling begins to creep in. You start to tell yourself that
now is not the time, and that you should stick to your sleight of hand
tricks that you can guarantee will work.
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Your confidence is starting to disappear it could all go horribly

wrong!
Fear is natural. It drives us all. If everyone reacted to their fear of
failure by not trying, we would probably all still be living in caves!
What is driving this fear? Possible causes:
What is the worst case scenario?

Are the magic tricks secrets exposed?
Will you get laughed at?
Will everyone think you are a bad magician?
When you think about it, nothing that can happen as a result of a
magic trick going wrong is THAT serious!
Yes, in the short-term you may feel embarrassed or foolish, and that is
totally natural. In the long run, it is essential to remember that, when a
magic trick fails and the magic tricks secret is exposed, it is not the
end of the world. It happens to everyone at some point. What is
important is how you DEAL with the situation.
The worst thing you can do is nothing

Small mistakes may only be visible to YOU. Sometimes a coin
flashes, sooner or later you will pick up a double and accidentally
drop it on the floor. Small errors may seem to shout out to the whole
world that you failed and exposed the magic tricks secret. However,
often this could go by the audience completely. Unlike you, they may
not have noticed or even understand that something has happened that
wasnt part of the plan. Small errors can often just be passed over, by
paying them no attention and moving on quickly and smoothly. Dont
pause and do nothing, just keep the flow and performance moving
along.
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Sometimes a magic trick may go entirely wrong and cant be

continued. You MUST REACT to your mistake. Reacting makes you
look human and breaks the tension that is felt by your audience.
Nobody can tell you the best way to react this depends on your
personality and performing style.
Humour is usually a good way to go. By drawing attention to your
mistake and making a joke, you turn a personal disaster into a shared
positive experience.
True confidence
No magic trick works perfectly every time. Therefore, the best way to
have absolute confidence that you can give a perfect performance is to
be prepared to fail. Think about it everything you rehearse, you
rehearse because it is going to happen in performance. By accepting
that something could go wrong from the outset, you can rehearse
ways to deal with the situation so that, if the situation ever occurs,
you are ready to deal with it, with confidence.
Do this: The next time you practice with a gimmick and things dont
happen quite the way they should, dont just discard it. Write down:
What went wrong and exposed the magic tricks secrets;

Why you think it went wrong;
How you might stop it from happening again;
What you might do if it happened again in front of a spectator
how might you react?
By TAKING ACTION, you can minimise any negative impact that a

small failure may have on your overall performance. You will develop
the confidence that you can deal with any situation without fear.
Without the fear, you will become a much better magician.
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Conclusion
I hope this book has given you some useful information and tips about
how to practise your magic. The key message is very simple:
Slow down
Learn one trick at a time
Structure your practice
Commit to short, regular sessions
Set goals
Review your performance
If you put this into action, it will transform how you develop as a
magician.
Please let me know what you thought of this e-book. I would like to
add to it over time and expand the content.
You can leave me feedback and suggestions for improvements here:
Click here to leave me feedback
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If you have any problems or questions, all of the team at the Merchant
of Magic is here to help. We produce a range of free e-books that
cover all aspects of both practice and performance for magicians. You
can get the books and also read hundreds of articles giving advice
about all aspects of training and performance on the Merchant of
Magic blog.
You can find the blog at http://blog.magicshop.co.uk/
The Merchant of Magic also produces video tips, guides, and advice,
as well as a podcast recorded live at the magic shop where we discuss
questions magicians have asked us.
Good luck with your magic!
Dominic Reyes
Web: http://www.dominicreyes.me
Twitter: @dominicreyes
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Approaching Magic Practice Dominic Reyes

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Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

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Copyright 2015 Merchant of Magic Ltd

About the author

Why this book is free

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Practice doesnt make perfect. Practice

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

If you have any questions, would like to give me some feedback, or

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Help someone else

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

The practice drill

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

If you make an error:

If you practise magic this way, it will fast-track you as it builds in

Little and often is best

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

In cognitive science there are two forms of learning:

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

The practice drill for a single move

Step 1: Choosing the technique(s)

The Double Lift

Step 2: Creating a timetable

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

from boredom or impatience to move on to something new. If you

I recommend daily practice, in short sessions.

20 repetitions or 10 minutes practice in the morning

Why short practice sessions?

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

British memory champion Ed Cooke (who can memorise a full

Learn in short bursts, testing yourself on the technique over several

Mistakes in your technique;

Step 4: Application and rehearsal

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Practice your magic tricks just before you sleep

Commit to formal magic practice

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Know your strengths

Stand of the shoulders of giants

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Take just 1% of the time you spend

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Take care of your hands

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Committing to magic practice

Tyranny of the new

So, with this in mind, what can we do to minimise these distractions

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

either new magic tricks, techniques or a mixture of both. The

Have a goal Setting yourself a deadline can also be a great way to

Be consistent Choosing a time and a place where you know that

Meditate Maintaining focus is very much a state of mind and

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

The Practice Mirror

Most three-section mirrors have a problem: they tend to be housed in

from most DIY stores.

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes

Filming your performance

Once you have some footage, the painful part begins

Approaching Magic Practice By Dominic Reyes