How To Improve Your Close-Up Magic Skills

Magic tricks may seem pretty daunting and hard to learn, especially if you’re looking at the tricks from the perspective of an audience member. But it really isn’t that hard to master the art of magic if you practice and you the correct magic props. Here is everything you need to know about improving close-up magic skills.

What Is Close-Up Magic?

Magic tricks can be performed in various ways. The magician can stand on a stage in front of an audience, with numerous props and assistants to help with the proper execution of the tricks. Alternatively, it can also be done in a more close and personal setting, where you are standing in close proximity to your audience, like in a crowd of people, and performing magic tricks amongst them.

This type of setting is known as a close-up setting and the magic performed in a close-up setting is called close-up magic tricks.

Tips To Improve Your Close-Up Magic Skills

Performing magic tricks right in front of your audience can be nerve-wracking, so you need to polish your skills as much as possible so that you don’t slip when it is time to actually perform. Here are some amazing tips for you to become an expert in close-up magic tricks.

Start With Easy Tricks

You don’t want to get the ball running with hard and complex tricks. It’s very easy to get overambitious about magic tricks and, that too, performing in front of an audience of close proximity, but it’s a good idea to start off with tricks that are easy.

If you’re a beginner at magic tricks, then it’s best to start out with tricks that will warm you up and as you practice more and more, you will get the technique down right. You might not get it right the first few times, so don’t be discouraged and keep on practicing, because you will get there.

Practice, Practice, And Practice

Tying in with the previous tip, it’s extremely important that you make practice a priority in your daily routine. If you want to be a successful magician, especially in close-up tricks, then you need to practice twice as hard, if not more, to get perfect at performing in front of a crowd.

A beginner needs to practice about 10 to 12 hours, sometimes more, to get the hang of the tricks and to perfect the play of the hand. You will need to be dedicated in this regard, otherwise, the effort will be fruitless.

Confidence Is Key

This tip is great for magicians who want to perform in front of a crowd, but have no idea how to exude confidence in their stance and body language. Confidence gets better with practice and you want to appear your best self in front of the crowd. In this case, a mirror and a script will be your best friend.

A mirror will help you to assess how you look when you’re speaking to people and performing. A script is more of a personalized addition to a magician’s show, but it doesn’t hurt to have a nice introduction and things that can get the audience hooked on your performance.

Nail The Hand Technique

Magic might seem like an effort-inducing activity, but it really boils down to your hand technique and gestures. Since you don’t have the luxury of a stage in close-up magic tricks, you want to use your hands to the best of your ability. Your hands can work as magic tools to help tweak the trick, whenever it’s needed.

Try to study your hands first and get to know the most comfortable and effective hand movements, which are not only fluid in motion but also add drama to your magic trick.

Learn From Many Sources

This is a very important tip to keep in mind. You can’t just rely on TV shows and other sources to teach you all of the secrets of magic. Try to be creative and search for reliable sources by yourself. These sources can be small courses, magic books, video courses, and even YouTube videos.

Make sure that you do your homework, get the required magic supplies, and research all types of close-up magic tricks and how to perfect them, along with practicing your confidence and body language, as part of the trick. This is going to distract the audience and keep them on edge the entire time, anticipating your next move.

Don’t Drag The Show

As much as a script and a personal introduction are necessary for every magician, it doesn’t mean that you have to drag it along. Try to have short and concise conversations with your audience, without being monotonous and boring.

This can actually backfire and make the audience lose interest in your show altogether. You need to add drama and exciting twists to your tricks, during the performance, so that the audience is giving you undivided attention. The whole point of magic tricks is to keep the audience entertained and wowed. If it’s Halloween, use the outfits from Halloween costume shop and related stories to engage people.

Work In Increments

If you are trying to practice a trick that has many parts to it, then it’s better to break it down into increments. Breaking down a magic trick into more manageable parts will help you to get better at the trick faster and you will get the hang of it in no time at all. Try to work on the start the most, because this is what keeps the audience hooked.

The trick needs to start with a bang, and there is no room for errors. Once you get one increment perfected, you can incorporate the 2nd increment and keep repeating until you reach the final part.

Have A “Fake” Audience

For close-up magic tricks, especially if you haven’t done anything like this before, try to have a fake audience to practice your tricks in front of. This can be your family or friends. Have them gather around you in a group, similar to a random crowd on the street, and start doing your magic tricks in this way.

It’s better to practice like this as well because you won’t get anxious about performing in front of people for the first time. This is going to calm your nerves and you can focus on the important stuff, aka, the magic trick.

Talking Will Be Your Advantage

While performing, it’s common for magicians to incorporate conversation with their audience or use props like some unique sunglasses. This is a great way to bide some time from the people and divert their attention from the trick. This is also a great life saver if you feel like you’re messing up on a trick and want to distract the audience.

Talking and holding conversations with the people around you will also help to keep yourself focused and you will feel less stressed about the situation. This can be perfected with regular practice and the smart play of hands.

Conclusion

There you have it! All it takes is a bit of practice and dedication and you can do magic tricks easily and woo any crowd. So, what are you waiting for? Dust your magician hat off, visit magic stores for ideas, and get started practicing!

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