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Seniorgiri
Counter the Loneliness Yourself.
Seniorgiri Series: Hobbies
MAGIC TRICKS
By Shobha Mathur Shobham@yahoo.com
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Hello
When was the last time you did Something for the First Time?
Do it now.
This is the age to enjoy whatever you wanted to do before but had no
time to do till now.
You are your own best friend.
You do not need any one’s permission to learn new crafts or pursue
new hobbies.
Remember
☺ You are not competing with anyone.
☺ You do not have to prove anything to anyone.
☺ You have to suit only your pace of doing thing,
Last but not least
☺ Be proud of yourself for all and any achievement.
☺ Enjoy and Enhance your life and abilities.
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THIS IS HOBBY HELP SERIES FOR
SENIORS.
I am compiling a series of things to do - what to do to counter
loneliness, in addition, how to go about it.
This is about Magic tricks. By its very nature this is for beginners.
Once you get the hang of it you may try advance tricks later.
I have tested all the links mentioned. As on February 2010, all links
are secure, correct and working.
You should look for more as you surf. You may find many that will
suit to your needs. This is just a first step.
Please feel free to share this with anyone you like.
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Magic
Introduction
The word magic has its roots in Greek Magos ( magicians).
Magic has two different connotations.
Magic
Historically magic has been associated with mystical incidents, and is
also known as sorcery.
This kind of magic involves spells, rituals, charms,
clairvoyance, and other such paraphernalia which can be used
to heal or harm a person. It is what is called “Black” or “White”
Magic. Recently Harry Potter has popularized this concept.
Many cultures have versions of witches, wizards, warlocks,
sorcerers, witch doctors, shamans, and other people who could
control paranormal powers for assorted tasks. They were
revered and feared for their abilities. It was believed they could
heal as well as cast spells even to change weather, cause famine
and sickness.
Even today in Africa and Latin America voodoo is a religion!
In western society also training for witchcraft is gaining
ground.
In India also Tantriks and local Ojhas perform spell related
tasks – specially for “Evil Eye” ( Nazar Lagana) .
Magic Tricks
Anyway, this article is not about this kind of supernatural Magic.
This is about the second type which is pure entertainment and has
nothing to do with any mystical subject.
This kind of magic is a field where people create illusions or effects.
Skilled magicians can seem to make flowers bloom in mid-air, cut
women in half, conjure rabbits from hats, escape from sealed vaults,
vanish from one place and appear in another.
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There is no supernatural force involved in this, only focused work and
practice.
If you are of gregarious nature, like to surprise people with pranks and
showing off, try magic tricks.
There are many professional magicians, who perform big time on
stages and need a lot of gear and paraphernalia. Our own P.C. Sarkar
and his son are quite famous.
But you do not have to go to that level to enjoy magic. Just to show
magic tricks to your grandchildren and their friends, in your local
social gatherings, senior clubs will be rewarding enough.
You do not even need many tools. Most basic tricks are done with
packs of cards, coins, handkerchiefs, ropes and other household items.
Only thing required is practice for a flawless presentation and gift of
gab.
Many magic kits are available for children from very basic to quite
complex. Maybe you could try from that. All instructions are with the
kit.
There are shops also which sell “magic” tricks. I have given some
links for online shopping.
There are many free lessons and tutorials available on the net for
home or armature magician.
There are some free e newsletters also which you can subscribe to.
Note
This is a hobby article, so I am only including very basic and
beginner’s items. Anyone want to go beyond this can surf for advance
lessons.
If you become really efficient, it can also be a source of income. But
for that you need a different grade of tricks and props.
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History of Modern Magic
Magic as we know today in only about 150 years old.
Robert-Houdin of France introduced many stage illusions. He is called
the father of modern magic. By profession a clockmaker, he was born
Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin in Blois, France, in 1805. His debut as a
magician was in 1845 in Paris.
He was the first magician to use electricity; he perfected the
thought-transference trick; and he used common objects to
create illusions instead of complicated pieces of machinery.
He also denounced magicians who claimed psychic powers or
supernatural help for their tricks. Robert-Houdin is the man
from whom the American magician Harry Houdini took his
name a generation later.
In 1856 the French government sent Robert-Houdin to Algeria
to discredit native priests who were using magic to foment
rebellion. Robert-Houdin used one of his best tricks to deceive
them. He had an empty wooden box that anyone could lift. It
had an iron bottom, however, and could be made immovable by
turning on an electromagnet hidden under the stage floor. With
this trick he was able to convince an audience that he could
drain the strength from the strongest of men at will.
English-born John Nevil Maskelyne was a noted escape artist. Along
with his amazing escapes he perfected levitation rising from the stage
seemingly unaided. In 1893 he teamed with master magician David
Devant. In 1911 they published 'Our Magic', a major sourcebook on
the theory of magic. Maskelyne died in 1917, but Devant went on
performing until shortly before his death in 1941 at the age of 73.
Before Harry Houdini, the most outstanding American magician and
showman was Harry Kellar. He traveled to many parts of the world
before settling in the United States in 1884. In 1908, he sold his show
to Howard Thurston. Thurston was from Ohio and was touring the
world doing mainly card tricks when Kellar met him in Paris. After he
took over Kellar's show he made it the largest magic extravaganza to
that time. For more than 20 years he toured with a three-hour show
and became known for his large stage illusions such as the "floating
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lady." In 1931 he shortened his program to appear as a stage attraction
in movie theaters.
The English magician P.T. Selbit (born Percy Thomas Tibbles) gained
fame for two unusual illusions.
In 1914 he walked through a brick wall on stage. This illusion
was repeated in 1986 when David Copperfield walked through
the Great Wall of China in a performance that was seen on
television.
In 1921 Selbit became famous for his trick of sawing a woman
in half.
http://lookd.com/magic/emergence.html
The World Of Magic
Magicians makes the impossible possible, the visible invisible, and
the unbelievable believable. It is a both an art and science of
entertainment and illusion.
Learning and practicing magic tricks, and perfecting them are an
enjoyable activity in itself.
Magic is a performing art. You can read about magic tricks from
books and videos, but to learn you have to do it. Whether your focus
is in cards, coins, magic rope routines, manipulations, cups and balls,
or impromptu magic, you must practice till no one can guess what you
are up to.
http://themagicianscenter.com/wp-content/uploads/featured3.jpg
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Different Types of Magic Tricks
There are thousands of tricks. They are classified three ways,
according to :
Where they are performed.
What is performed
How it is performed
Classification by place of show
Child Magic
Child magic is to entertain children. These must be quick tricks as
children cannot concentrate long. The magician should use color full
props and animals.
Close up magic
This requires least skill and anyone can do it with just a little practice.
Simple everyday things such as a deck of cards, key chains, some
small balls or coins are used. This kind of trick proves that the hand is
faster than the eye.
This is performed for a small group of people within a small space.
The magician will be sitting or standing with the people.
This is also known as parlor magic.
At the most the magician might need a covered table.
Stage magic
Here the magician is at a distance from the audience and is performing
tricks for large crowds. Tricks are done on a large scale so that
everyone in the audience can see and know what is happening.
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Sawing a woman in half, levitating in air, turning a lady into a lion,
and making large objects to vanish are all stage magic. Stage
magicians are also great entertainers so that they keep the entire
audience involved during the show.
Street magic
It is performed outside on the roads. Very popular in USA.
Street magic often includes sleight of hand tricks, although a variety
of magic is performed this way.
One of the most famous current-day street magicians is David Blaine,
who performs a wide range of card tricks, disappearing acts, and even
levitation on the street.
Classification by What is performed
Production
Something comes out of nothing - pull rabbits out of a hat. Some
magicians generate a wide selection of objects out of thin air.
appearing out of nowhere in a puff of smoke is also production.
Vanishing
This is the opposite of production. The performer makes an object, an
assistant and himself to disappear.
David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear and P.C.
Sarkar had the Taj Mahal vanish.
Transformation
Turning one thing into another - a jug of milk into a white pigeon.
Cards change color. Transformation is a combination of vanishing and
production.
The performer makes one object disappear and make another appear
creating the illusion of transformation.
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Restoration
An object is destroyed and then restored to its original state. A
newspaper is torn into pieces, an assistant is cut in two, and then
restored.
Teleportation
An object is moved from one place to another.
Keith Barry performed a combination of restoration and teleportation
when he burned a bill with a volunteer's name on it and later
teleported the bill inside the lighter the he used to burn the bill
originally.
Escapology
It is all about escapes from handcuffs, cramped and locked places.
Harry Houdini's was most famous for this.
Levitation
It is making something or someone float, sometimes the performer
himself.
Criss Angel did an amazing levitation performances when he floated
from one building to another.
Penetration
This illusion makes a solid object appear to pass through another.
Could be a the performer passing through glass, rings linking and
unlinking, swords appear to impale an assistant inside a box, etc
Mentalism
The magician shows that he possesses special abilities to read
thoughts, predict events or control the minds of others. He can predict
a card or a number that the audience choose.
In front of live audiences, mentalists will recreate drawings done by
audience members that are unseen to the magician, but visible to the
audience. They will also read the minds of strangers and perform an
array of amazing mental tricks
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Mentalist feats can be done with a large or solitary audience, on a
stage or close-up.
Classification by how it is done
All these are different techniques used in showcasing magic. They can
be used on their own or in combination of two or more.
Magic is all about illusions that mystify and that are kept secret. A
performer has to understand basic rules and practice them .
Misdirection
Magicians use misdirection to convince the audience that they are
doing something incredible. The performer deliberately acts in such a
way that the audience looks not where they ought, but in an entirely
different direction.
Smoke and mirrors were often used by early magicians and they are
still some of the most useful tools of the modern day magicians.
Sleight of hand
These are skilled hand movements where objects seem to appear and
disappear in the hands of the performer.
Sleight of hand tricks are used with a variety of objects, including
card, coins, balls, and other objects.
Showmanship
Make the audience think that there is a lot of effort in doing a trick
even if the trick is really simple.
www.clipartof.com/details/clipart/15752.html
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How to begin?
Previously, the only way to become a magician was to learn magic as
an apprentice. Currently it is much easier. Books, Interactive CDROMs, Videos, and the Internet all have a wealth of lessons.
Especially internet is a boon. There are free lessons, tips, and blogs of
peer groups for support.
Ready-prepared and basic tricks are available from magic
shops, and most good toy shops.
Learning magic on your own is not difficult. Step by step tutorials
abound both in text and visual format. Sleight of hand is best learned
from videos, as they show you exactly where to place your hands and
how to place the objects in your hands that you need.
It is important to have a good knowledge of all magic principles
to become a successful magician.
Magic is not learned just from books and videos, but through practice.
Go and see a live magic show in your area, even if it is a children's
magician, to get a feel of how a magician performs. Try to work out
whether or how you will like to improve the show.
You can also watch magic shows on the TV.
kidsmagictricks.net/
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Accessories and tools
You will need some tools, but unlike other hobbies there are no
standard set of tools of trade. Depending on what you want to show,
you will need the items.
For close up shows it is better to take some items from the host,
especially for coin tricks.
Still, packs of cards, special handkerchiefs, may be a wand for effects
can be carried.
A wand is a personalized stick supposedly a source of power and used
for spells. (See Harry Potter!) Wands are generally made from wood,
bone or metal. A typical wand is between 6-16 in (15-40 cm) long,
and carved or decorated
We somehow always associate a top hat with a magician – the most
famous trick of producing rabbits from it! So if you can invest in a
magician’s costume with a hat, it will give you instant recognition! Or
go Indian and wear a turban!
Each trick will need its own set of items, and that you have to carry
inconspicuously.
Later you may like to make your own props for the shows.
You should try to specialize in one kind of trick instead of trying for
all.
http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/w/images/f/f7/Magic.png
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Psychology of Magic
When you perform all your friend will be eager to catch you off. It is
your job to prevent them. That is where knowledge of the audience
psychology comes handy.
Misdirection / distraction
It is vital that you keep the audience from noticing what is actually
happening. If you can control audience's attention, either by talking or
gesturing, you need only some skill of hand and very little apparatus.
Distraction of the mind is as crucial as distraction of the eye.
The attention is drawn away from the method. In a mechanical
trick, for instance, the magician talks about skill of hand or
magic words anything but mechanics.
Robert-Houdin was very adept at misdirecting an audience, as
he proved with his wooden box that could not be lifted by the
strongest of men.
Timing
In the psychology of magic timing is crucial. How an action is
performed and the time, at which it is done, a magician can impress
audiences with the doing or make them fail to notice that anything at
all is being done.
Sleight of hand
Sleight of hand must be done slowly and gently. You can continue to
talk about speed of the hand to mislead spectators so they will watch
alertly for some swift movement. They thus fail to notice the normal,
easygoing motions by which the trick is really done.
The most necessary skill to attain great sleight of hand is the ability to
palm an object undetected.
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You can perfect this with much palming practice. Conceal small
objects such as coins during your everyday, normal activities. Practice
palming a small object (in either or both hands) while writing, eating,
watching TV, walking around, or doing anything else. As you
practice, pay attention angles.
Soon, no one will detect that you have an object hidden in your hand.
Before long, you can conceal various objects comfortably with no
self-consciousness. Eventually, it will become almost natural to you.
After that, you can palm objects more confidently, boldly, and
successfully.
Master Your Presentation
Practice your presentation. The most effective routines are simple
effects to which your audience can relate and understand. Where is
the magic if your audience doesn’t understand what happened? Your
presentation should be straightforward, simple, and easily understood.
Watch Your Angles
Always be aware of your angles. Consider carefully what every
member of the audience can see, otherwise they could get a glimpse
of the object you think is hidden. The trick is exposed and the magic
is gone.
Look at them
Eye contact is essential. Look at each of your spectators in turn. This
makes the audience believe that you are talking to them, and not
through them.
Secrecy
Never reveal your secrets if you want to go on doing your shows. An
aura of mystery should hang about your movements. Chanting some
mantra can add to ambience.
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No repetition
Do not repeat a trick. When a trick is done for the first time, the
audience is amazed. Doing it twice will make the audience predict
what will happen and the sense of wonder is lost.
If an enthusiastic viewer pleads for you to repeat, counter with
something like, “OK, in a minute. Right now, I want to show you
something even more baffling,” and proceed to show a different
effect.
By the time you are finished with the second routine, they will be so
amazed you can move on to something new.
Confidence
Even if you have stage fright, try not to show. You are the master and
they are going to be under your spell. Follow your personality. Some
like to chatter, some do buffoonery and some just like to work silently
with grand gestures. Do whatever makes you comfortable.
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/08/21/science/magic_span_600.jpg
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Starting the journey
To begin with, start with a deck of cards, and coins. They are cheap,
easily available and there are thousands of tricks available. There are
even special trick cards obtainable!
Most card tricks make use of sleight of hand techniques, still there are
also a large number of self working card tricks that are very easy to
perform and require no skill at all.
There are many links later to look for tricks. Please check them out
and choose some to learn. Download the video, or the text to read and
understand first what is needed and how it is done.
Then PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
When you think you have it right, practice some more in front of a
mirror. This will show any imperfections.
Start with the real easy ones first to build up your confidence.
When you’re starting out with magic, the best tricks to start with are
ones that don’t need complicated sleight of hand to be able to
perform.
There are some great card magic tricks that are good for beginners,
which work because of the way the trick’s method has been
constructed.
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The following link is a very good one for beginners. It shows you how
to shuffle a deck, how to make people choose a card and all sort of
other techniques. The graphic shows some of the tricks taught.
http://magic.about.com/od/beginningmagic/u/learnmagic.htm#s1
Easy Magic Tricks for Beginners
http://magic.about.com/od/libraryofsimpletricks/Easy_Magic_Tricks_
for_Beginners.htm
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Kinds of Tricks
Self working
Anyone knowing the secret or the science behind the trick can
perform these tricks successfully every time.
Passing a quarter through a dime-sized hole is one example of a selfworking magic trick. The magician bends a piece of paper with a
dime-sized hole in half, then places the quarter in the divided hole. By
bending out both sides of the hole, the quarter should fall through
without tearing the paper.
Some magic tricks involving math or cards are also considered selfworking, because the order of the cards or the numbers does not
change.
Gimmicks
Other magic tricks work through gimmicks.
The objects used are modified in some way to guarantee a successful
outcome.
A gimmicked card may have two different suits, depending on which
half the magician chooses to reveal. A gimmicked coin may be rigged
to bend in half and reassemble itself 'magically'.
These are special tricks that you can buy.
Another type of magic trick popular with audiences is the stage
illusion. These magic tricks are often performed on a grand scale, with
beautiful assistants aiding the magician and elaborate light or music
cues guiding the action. Illusions are essentially based on tricking the
audience's sense of vision. These are beyond the scope of this hobby
series.
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Tips for learning and Performing
Set aside an hour or so a day for practice. Do it regularly, say three
times a week, at the same time, and get into the habit of practicing.
Treat your magic like studying for exams, and you can't go far wrong.
Do not be in a hurry to read the description through, and immediately
try to produce the result. Read carefully through first, and understand
what is required to be done; after that, follow, with the hands step by
step, until it is certain that all is correct up to each point.
With cards, this careful following of the text with the hands is
especially essential, and attention to it will save much time,
trouble, and annoyance at the outset, when everything new will
naturally appear difficult, if not absurd.
Don't perform a trick until you can do it with one hand behind your
back, blindfolded, and without having to think about what you're
doing.
Practice in front of a mirror, so that you can see exactly what your
audience will see. This will enable you to spot any mistakes you may
be making.
If you have a video camera or camcorder, then video yourself
performing, which lets you see just how good/bad you actually are. If
you are not satisfied with your performance, then you know that your
audience will be too.
Learn to do as many different types of tricks as you can, so that if
someone gives you a coin, you can do a trick with it, or if someone
gives you a deck of cards, you'll be able to do a trick with that too.
This is called performing 'Impromptu'.
When performing with props, keep them clean and presentable at all
times. Make sure your props work correctly before a performance!
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First Show
Once you have learned a good number of tricks, perhaps 10 or 12,
then it's about time you started thinking about putting a short show
together. 30 minutes is just right.
The speech and patter
Initially prepare, and learn by heart, a little set speech to begin with,
and also the accompanying talk for each trick. When you are more
seasoned you may not need this. The first appearance before an
audience is in itself quite intimidating, without any additional problem
that you do not know what to say.
You have to be careful that your talk is entertaining and not a lecture.
I suggest during the first six months, write down everything you have
to do or say, accompanied by the minutest stage directions. Each hand
and foot should have its proper position at a given moment.
Prepare the Stage
Set up a stage that could consist of either a piano bench or a small
table with a sheet or table cloth. It makes it look more professional.
Keep some flower vases on the corners of the table; it looks good and
helps hide the work view from public.
Make sure by going around the seating arrangements that you can be
seen, but your trick area is not visible. Also see there are no mirrors
hanging behind you.
Prepare the Props
Gather all the paraphernalia that you need beforehand and carry in one
box.
The usual props used by magicians include playing cards, hats,
animals, a handkerchief, etc.
Advance magicians use more complex personalized props.
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Costume
You will need full sleeve shirts and pants with deep pockets. A top hat
or turban gives instant celebrity status!
For more advanced tricks specially made coats, cloaks, hats and pants
are used.
The Show
A successful show has a beginning, middle and an end, just like any
good book.
Always start off with a 'warm-up' which is a short but startling effect
performed by you, normally without audience help that gets your
audience into the swing of things.
After the warm-up, perhaps perform a slightly longer effect, with lots
of good patter, and perhaps some audience interaction.
When creating your routine, don't put two similar effects together or
two long or two short tricks together.
For example, if your first trick involves a vanish, then it's a
good idea not to make the second trick a vanish also.
Then again, if you can find a way to link two effects, for
example, using the flowers you produced in trick one as part of
trick two, then the show flows a little better.
Pace yourself, and remember that variety is the spice of any
show. Always finish with your most spectacular effect, as a
finale
As a general rule, the younger the audience, the shorter the show
should be. Always leave the audience wanting more.
The best way to get started here is to show a few tricks to family
members or close friends and judge their reaction. After you become
confident about performing for them, then you can think about doing
shows for your local school, playgroup, or party.
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Remember that each audience will be different. Children like different
types of magic than adults and each age group will have different
tastes.
Remember that each different social class, age group etc. find
different things funny.
http://insidegreece.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/web_zapatero.jpg
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Some simple tricks
Card Tricks
These are tricks where a chosen card changes place, comes out of its
own from the pack , or many variations of this theme. To be able to do
these you have to master sleight of hand – there are several poses you
have to learn.
1. The pass.
2. The false shuffle.
3. The palm.
4. The change.
5. The slide.
6. The force.
To be able to do card tricks in a convincing matter you have to
practice all these unstintingly. They may seem difficult at first,
but practice will give you perfection.
These set of techniques used to create illusions for card are also
called Legerdemain as well as sleight of hand.
Legerdemain is one of the most difficult skills for the magician
to perfect, but also one of the most impressive.
You can learn about them here
Classic magic .net
http://www.classicmagic.net/tricks/7a.php
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One excellent mentalism trick
This is a fantastic trick from
http://www.buyingmagictricks.com/magic-tricks/what-kinds-ofmagic-tricks-are-are-good-for-beginners
Besides card magic, there are other tricks a beginner can learn to do
easily. Here’s an example, which is a trick called ‘1089 Mind
Reading’. This is an example of mind or prediction magic, and if
performed well, it will definitely have your audience scratching their
heads, and wondering how you did it (be sure never to tell them the
secret)!
To start with, you’ll need a book, a slip of paper, and an envelope. In
the book, go to page number 10, on this page go 8 lines down, and
find the 9th word on this line. Hopefully this word is something other
than ‘the’, ‘a’ or ‘and’ – if not, you might want to choose another
book! Write this word down on the paper, put it in the envelope, and
seal it.
In front of your audience, show them the sealed envelope, tell them
you’ve made a prediction, and then ask an audience member to guard
the envelope. Say that you’re going to get the audience to help you
choose a random number.
Pick someone from the audience, and ask them to think of a 3 digit
number, e.g. 487. Get them to reverse this, and subtract the smaller
from the larger, so, here 784 – 487 = 297. Secondly, request they
reverse this result, and add together – so here 297 + 792 = 1089. It
might be that at this point, they have 198 rather than 1089. If this is
the case, just have another step, ask them to reverse & add again, so
e.g. 198 + 981 = 1089. This is a curious mathematical fact, taking
these steps with any 3 digit number will always give 1089.
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Now it’s time to use that result. Hand the book to a member of the
audience, and say that the first 2 digits should indicate the page to turn
to – i.e. page 10. Then tell them to use the 3rd digit to find the line on
that page – line 8, and the final digit represents the word on that line
– word 9.
Finally, it’s time to reveal your prediction. Ask the audience member
with the book to read that word aloud. Then ask the other audience
member you had guard your envelope to open it and show what was
written on the piece of paper. The result – a fantastic display of mental
prediction!
You can have a lot of fun doing this trick; just remember to practice it
through a few times before performing for an audience. One thing you
could do to make it seem a bit more random is at the start, to throw a
sponge ball, or ball of paper into the audience, and ask them to pick a
single digit between 1 and 9. Then have them throw the paper in the
air and get someone else to choose a second digit, and repeat this with
another audience member for the final digit. This draws out the
performance a little, and adds a bit more fun too. Remember you can
only perform this trick once in front of the same audience!
Make a card vanish into thin air!
http://kids.mysterynet.com/magic/
Supplies You Need
Ordinary deck of cards
Handkerchief with a hem
Toothpick
Scissors
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Setup
Take a toothpick and match it up
against the end of one of the
cards. Take the scissors and cut
the toothpick so it's the same as
the width of the card. Poke it
into the hem of the
handkerchief. Make sure it won't
fall out.
How to Perform
Take the deck of cards and spread them out in a pile on the table in
front of the audience.
Bring out your handkerchief and say, "I will make an ordinary playing
card disappear, right before your very eyes," or something similar.
Place the handkerchief on top of the pile of cards, with the part with
the toothpick underneath the rest of the handkerchief. Look casual as
you do this.
With one hand, pick up the toothpick between your thumb and
forefinger and raise it up from the pile of cards. It will look like you
are holding the edge of one of the cards.
Say, "And it's gone!" as you wave the handkerchief in the air, showing
there's no card inside. It's vanished into thin air!
Vanishing Coin Trick
http://kids.mysterynet.com/magic/magic025/
Effect
You place a coin and a glass on a table. You cover the glass with a
handkerchief and move it over the coin. Remove the hankerchief and
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the coin has vanished! Cover the glass again, move it away, and the
coin has reappeared!
Supplies You Need
A clear glass
Two sheets of construction paper, the same color
A pencil
Scissors
Glue
A coin
A handkerchief
Setup
Prepare the glass: Turn the glass upside-down
and put it onto the sheet of colored paper. Take
the pencil, draw around the glass and cut out
the circle. Put a small amount of glue on the
rim of the glass and place it on the paper cutout. Let this dry thoroughly-- it should take at
least a few hours. Then cut any extra paper
away from the edges.
Now 'set the stage.' Put the second sheet of
colored paper on the table-- everything will go
on top of this. Put the glass onto the paper
upside-down, over to one side. Keep the coin in
your pocket and the handkerchief with you.
How to Perform
After you have set everything up, bring in the audience. Say, "I will
make a coin magically disappear before your very eyes. Does
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someone have a coin I can use?" If someone has a coin, use it, but if
not, bring out your own and say, "I have a coin with me, so we'll use
this one."
Put the coin in the center of the paper. Pick up the handkerchief and
say, "I will use the glass to make the coin vanish." Cover the glass and
move the handkerchief and glass on top of the coin. Now take the
handkerchief away-- the coin looks like it's gone! It's actually hidden
under the paper that is glued to the glass. After a second, cover the
glass again and move it away, into your magic box or put it away. The
coin has returned!
Hint:
When the trick is done, distract your audience by starting another trick
or ending the show. Don't let them look at the glass, because they'll
see how you did the trick. Remember the Magician's Rules: Keep the
secret a secret!
Summary
So even if you’re a total beginner when it comes to magic, there are
literally hundreds of tricks you can learn pretty quickly. Many online
magic sites will have tricks just like the one above that you can learn.
Very soon, you’ll have quite a repertoire of tricks, which you can use
to really entertain your family and friends.
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/do/images/magictricks4_c.gif
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Links
All these free Magic links are correct, secure and working as on Feb
2010.
Magic Tricks
Have a peak through our growing list of magic tricks, including street
& close-up magic, card tricks, coin tricks, levitation and other cool
illusions. Free registration.
http://www.blifaloo.com/magic/index.php
Easy Magic Tricks Free Card Magician Secrets
Free lessons and instructions to learn the basics of card tricks, coin
trickery, levitating illusions and street magician tactics, many
with video demos. Free registration
http://www.howtodotricks.com/
Magic India
The Academy of Magical Sciences, popular as the first Magic
Academy of Asia presents a website dedicated for promoting Indian
magicians.
http://www.magiciansindia.com/
Magic-Hobby Home
Is a collection of magic tricks, illusions and Sleight of hand so you
can learn magic.
http://www.magic-hobby.co.uk/
Amateur Magician!
This weblog is focused on educating amateur magicians how to
perform magic tricks, enhance their knowledge and improve their
tricks. Each week a new exiting trick will be analyzed thoroughly
within a highly multimedia article posted on this weblog.
http://amateurmagician.co.uk/welcome/welcome-to-amateurmagician/
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Real magic net
If you're looking for some amazing online magic tricks or want to
know the secrets behind the illusions of David Copperfield and David
Blaine, you have come to the right place!
http://www.realmagic.net/
Magicbox
http://www.magicbox.uk.com/shop.php/magic-tricks/i_11.html
Online Magic Lessons / Free Tricks
Sites with online lessons, free trick instructions or courses.
http://links.magictricks.com/magiclessons.html
Types of Cards for Magic Tricks
Learn the types of playing cards to use and learn how to do easy
magic tricks using the basic principles and techniques of illusion in
this free magic lesson video.
http://www.ehow.com/video_2388556_types-cards-magic-tricks.html
Free magic blog
http://www.freemagicblog.com/how-did-they-do-that-types-of-magictricks
Learn great magic tricks
Whether you are a beginner or an old pro, you will find interesting
and fun information here. You have found the kind of information I
desperately sought when I started in magic. Also free newsletter.
http://www.learn-great-magic-tricks.com/
Card trick central
The #1 Site for Card Tricks on the Internet
http://www.cardtricksite.com/
kids.mysterynet
Simple tricks for kids and beginners.
http://kids.mysterynet.com/magic/magic026/
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Just for Fun : Magic Tricks
http://www.wannalearn.com/Just_for_Fun/Magic_Tricks/
David Blaine Style Street Magic
http://www.goodtricks.net/david-blaine-street-magic-tricks.html
LearnMagicTricks.org
Many Videos for learning
http://www.learnmagictricks.org/
Magic Tricks
Learn How To Do Hundreds of Magic Tricks - Free!
http://www.classicmagic.net/
TrickMagic
Learn how to do magic tricks! We'll reveal the secrets behind
some great sleight of hand moves! You can learn how to pull a
card out of thin air, how to throw a card 50 to 100 feet in the
air, make people believe you are psychic.
http://www.trickmagic.com/
Magicbunny.net
We have teamed up with Pubtricks.com who are the leader in
download magic on the internet to provide you with a great
selection of magic tricks.
http://www.magicbunny.net/
Free Magic Tricks 4U
Would you Like to Learn FREE Street Magic?
http://www.freemagictricks4u.com/
Magic and Illusion
Learn many tricks, and also subscribe to a newsletter – all free.
http://magic.about.com/
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XPloreMagic
XPloreMagic offers you thousands movies of free magic
tutorial, magic show, documentary, and fun.
http://www.xploremagic.com/
Online Shops
MAGIC MART
All types of Magic Tricks made in India by Metal, Feather, Wood,
Plastic, Feather for export to foreign buyers. Online shop.
http://magicmart.en.ecplaza.net/
Dude That's Cool Magic
Our online Magic Shop, caters for both the specialist performer and
the amateur magician alike.
http://www.dudethatscoolmagic.co.uk/
kidsmagictricks.net/
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Acknowledgement
The filler Flower graphics used here are from Hellas Multimedia
http://www.hellasmultimedia.com/webimages/default.htm.
The beautiful graphics are free.
Graphics from the net are acknowledged at the point.
Other clipart are from Microsoft WP Clipart Free Collection.
This e book is by Ms.Shobha Mathur shobham@yahoo.com
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