magictricks-6

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Learning The Tricks: Hankerchief Tricks
Author: Preston Houer -
Magic tricks have been around for centuries and are practiced in every society. They are among the most popular past times both for children and adult.

Tricks may make use of materials or objects such as coins, cards, tables, game cards, and number tricks but the one that remains to be the most popular among children and the one that is first learned by a beginner is the handkerchief.

Linen or Silk?

Tricks using a handkerchief can be either performed in whatever material it was made of. However, the type of tricks to be performed determines the type of handkerchief you are to use.

For knots and similar activities, a silk handkerchief is chiefly used because they slide quickly in the process of tying up. Other magic tricks using a handkerchief requires a hard material like linen as in the case of bringing about a hypnotized effect on a handkerchief.

Below are just some of the most common magic tricks that involve the use of handkerchief together with explanations on how magic works.

- Standing Handkerchief – This type of magic trick makes use of a hemmed linen handkerchief which is ironed to make it even more stiff. This very same stiffness determines the success for this performance.

The handkerchief is taken folded from somewhere and spread on the table. The magician picks it up on the centerfold and raises it up in the air until it takes the shape of a small tent.

He will do the usual mystic hand pass while putting the handkerchief in an upright position. The hanky will stay upright as predicted as if it was put on a spell.

- Detachable Thumb – In this trick, you will need both a hanky and a piece of carrot. The carrot should be cut in a way that resembles your thumb. It should be as small and has the same thickness as your finger.

Partly cover your hand and parts of your thumb finger with the hanky. You will need both sleight of hand and dexterity in this kind of activity. Quickness is the rule of the game in order not to spoil the trick.

Place the carrot in the same position as your thumb showing only that portion while covered with handkerchief. Patter a little bit with your audience describing how you have been feeling about your finger since you accidentally hurt it.

Ask one to participate to do the inspection and possible massaging for them. The moment they hold the carrot, release it and act like you were surprised.

- Handkerchief That Changes Color – Apparently, this is one of the simplest magic trick usually done by magicians in terms of minimal effect on the audience but one of the most difficult when it comes to preparation and production.

The magician will show the audience a hanky and toss it around, up and down, right and left, and changes color along the way. The hanky does not actually changes its color since the magician is holding not one, but two hankie!

As the hankie is tossed up and down, he makes it a point to reverse the position of the topmost hankie so that the one in the bottom with a different color is showed up and the hankie apparently changes color.

This quite a difficult thing to do for many suspecting audience are trying to find out if you got several hankie at hand. This requires swiftness in the movement of your hand and making sure that the hankies you are holding do not move independently of one another.

Tips on Performing Handkerchief Tricks

- Be swift – Try to be mindful of astute members of the audience at all times. Even the most seemingly attentive spectator are keen enough even the most slightest mistake made along the process of performing your tricks thereby spoiling it.

- Mouth Shut – Secrecy is the basic rule that magicians should keep in mind. Blabbing about the secret of your tricks makes it even less appealing to onlookers. Allow the audience to make their own guesses and find it out in their own way. In short, keep them mystified.

- Practice! Although practice may not help you master all the skills needed for a certain trick, constant and intense practice helps and keep you on the right track.

Additionally, convey a feeling of excitement and enthusiasm in what you are doing for it helps you connect with the audience and infect them with your attitude along the way.

Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! www.have-fun-with-magic.com

...

magictricks-6

Magic Tricks
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Learning The Tricks: Hankerchief Tricks
Author: Preston Houer -
Magic tricks have been around for centuries and are practiced in every society. They are among the most popular past times both for children and adult.

Tricks may make use of materials or objects such as coins, cards, tables, game cards, and number tricks but the one that remains to be the most popular among children and the one that is first learned by a beginner is the handkerchief.

Linen or Silk?

Tricks using a handkerchief can be either performed in whatever material it was made of. However, the type of tricks to be performed determines the type of handkerchief you are to use.

For knots and similar activities, a silk handkerchief is chiefly used because they slide quickly in the process of tying up. Other magic tricks using a handkerchief requires a hard material like linen as in the case of bringing about a hypnotized effect on a handkerchief.

Below are just some of the most common magic tricks that involve the use of handkerchief together with explanations on how magic works.

- Standing Handkerchief – This type of magic trick makes use of a hemmed linen handkerchief which is ironed to make it even more stiff. This very same stiffness determines the success for this performance.

The handkerchief is taken folded from somewhere and spread on the table. The magician picks it up on the centerfold and raises it up in the air until it takes the shape of a small tent.

He will do the usual mystic hand pass while putting the handkerchief in an upright position. The hanky will stay upright as predicted as if it was put on a spell.

- Detachable Thumb – In this trick, you will need both a hanky and a piece of carrot. The carrot should be cut in a way that resembles your thumb. It should be as small and has the same thickness as your finger.

Partly cover your hand and parts of your thumb finger with the hanky. You will need both sleight of hand and dexterity in this kind of activity. Quickness is the rule of the game in order not to spoil the trick.

Place the carrot in the same position as your thumb showing only that portion while covered with handkerchief. Patter a little bit with your audience describing how you have been feeling about your finger since you accidentally hurt it.

Ask one to participate to do the inspection and possible massaging for them. The moment they hold the carrot, release it and act like you were surprised.

- Handkerchief That Changes Color – Apparently, this is one of the simplest magic trick usually done by magicians in terms of minimal effect on the audience but one of the most difficult when it comes to preparation and production.

The magician will show the audience a hanky and toss it around, up and down, right and left, and changes color along the way. The hanky does not actually changes its color since the magician is holding not one, but two hankie!

As the hankie is tossed up and down, he makes it a point to reverse the position of the topmost hankie so that the one in the bottom with a different color is showed up and the hankie apparently changes color.

This quite a difficult thing to do for many suspecting audience are trying to find out if you got several hankie at hand. This requires swiftness in the movement of your hand and making sure that the hankies you are holding do not move independently of one another.

Tips on Performing Handkerchief Tricks

- Be swift – Try to be mindful of astute members of the audience at all times. Even the most seemingly attentive spectator are keen enough even the most slightest mistake made along the process of performing your tricks thereby spoiling it.

- Mouth Shut – Secrecy is the basic rule that magicians should keep in mind. Blabbing about the secret of your tricks makes it even less appealing to onlookers. Allow the audience to make their own guesses and find it out in their own way. In short, keep them mystified.

- Practice! Although practice may not help you master all the skills needed for a certain trick, constant and intense practice helps and keep you on the right track.

Additionally, convey a feeling of excitement and enthusiasm in what you are doing for it helps you connect with the audience and infect them with your attitude along the way.

Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com

Preston Houer has been involved with the art of illusion and sleight of hand for over 30 years. Let Preston show you how to Have Fun With Magic. Visit His Site Today! www.have-fun-with-magic.com

...

magictricks-5

Magic Tricks
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How Did They Do That? Types Of Magic Tricks
Author: Sally Rogers -
There are many kinds of magic tricks, but most fall into one of a few categories. Oftentimes, a magician will specialize in one or a few areas. For those who employ a range of techniques, they will often develop some type of persona or specialty act to differentiate themselves from other performers. Just as other entertainers often find a niche, so too do magicians.

While no type of magic is particularly easy, some types are common for beginning magicians, such as learning sleight of hand tricks. Most magicians know a core base of tricks, and then develop their particular repertoire from there.

Magic is based on illusion and mystery, and all types of magic tricks employ this mystery. This is what is so alluring about magic! Secrecy is of course another major element of magic. Practicing magicians are very selective about who they share their secrets with. People who work with magicians are often required to sign contracts stating they will not share the magician's secrets with anyone else.

What types of tricks do magicians perform? The following list is a basic overview of magic tricks that are commonly associated with the practice of magic.

Sleight of hand tricks are those that involve skilled hand movements where objects seem to appear and disappear in the hands of the performer. One of the oldest sleight of hand tricks originated in Ancient Egypt. In this trick, the performer hides balls under turned-over cups. As the performer moves the cups around, the balls change positions under the cups. The observers try to watch and guess where the balls will appear, but the magician fools them every time!

Sleight of hand tricks are used with a variety of objects, including card, coins, balls, and other objects. Some magicians have even used live animals. A magician skilled in sleight of hand can perform magic almost anytime, anywhere.

Illusions are those where the seemingly impossible becomes possible. Some of the better known illusion tricks include those where a woman is sawed in half and levitation tricks. Other illusions involve making people, animals, or objects reappear. David Copperfield, a modern-day magician, has made such large objects as the Statue of Liberty and a jet airplane disappear in front of live audiences.

Escape magic is just as it sounds. The most famous escape artist was Harry Houdini, who performed a number of daring escapes in front of large audiences in exotic locations. Suspended high in the air, Houdini would be handcuffed and placed inside locked or otherwise sealed containers and emerge moments later. Escape magic is intriguing not only because of the amazing feat, but also because of the danger involved.

Mentalists are another form of magicians who appear to read the minds of strangers. 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. The mystery of the mentalist lies in the performance in front of a live audience. Some mentalists in modern times have even created tricks for television where they seem to read the minds of viewers!

How and where magicians perform varies a great deal as well. Street magic, close-up magic, and stage magic all offer amazing performances in vastly different settings. Street magic is as it sounds, performed outside and in the spur of the moment. 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.

Close-up magic is performed indoors or out, and often involves such things as card or coin tricks. It is performed just as it sounds--in close range. The audience is small, and the magician sits or stands in the middle, which adds to the allure--when people surround the magician, he or she has little room to "hide" anything. Additionally, when the audience is so close, one might assume the observers could easily see the magician's tricks--but this isn't the case!

Finally, stage magic is just as it sounds--magic performed onstage. These magic tricks date back in history to the 1700s, and are often very elaborate performances. Stage magicians offer an extensive range of tricks from sleight of hand to making large objects float or disappear. Oftentimes large animals are involved. There are a number of present-day famous stage magicians, including Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield, and Penn and Teller.

Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com

Magic Trick Facts is an information site that contains articles, a directory and other Magic Trick Resources . It can be found at: www.magictrickfacts.com

...

magictricks-5

Magic Tricks
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How Did They Do That? Types Of Magic Tricks
Author: Sally Rogers -
There are many kinds of magic tricks, but most fall into one of a few categories. Oftentimes, a magician will specialize in one or a few areas. For those who employ a range of techniques, they will often develop some type of persona or specialty act to differentiate themselves from other performers. Just as other entertainers often find a niche, so too do magicians.

While no type of magic is particularly easy, some types are common for beginning magicians, such as learning sleight of hand tricks. Most magicians know a core base of tricks, and then develop their particular repertoire from there.

Magic is based on illusion and mystery, and all types of magic tricks employ this mystery. This is what is so alluring about magic! Secrecy is of course another major element of magic. Practicing magicians are very selective about who they share their secrets with. People who work with magicians are often required to sign contracts stating they will not share the magician's secrets with anyone else.

What types of tricks do magicians perform? The following list is a basic overview of magic tricks that are commonly associated with the practice of magic.

Sleight of hand tricks are those that involve skilled hand movements where objects seem to appear and disappear in the hands of the performer. One of the oldest sleight of hand tricks originated in Ancient Egypt. In this trick, the performer hides balls under turned-over cups. As the performer moves the cups around, the balls change positions under the cups. The observers try to watch and guess where the balls will appear, but the magician fools them every time!

Sleight of hand tricks are used with a variety of objects, including card, coins, balls, and other objects. Some magicians have even used live animals. A magician skilled in sleight of hand can perform magic almost anytime, anywhere.

Illusions are those where the seemingly impossible becomes possible. Some of the better known illusion tricks include those where a woman is sawed in half and levitation tricks. Other illusions involve making people, animals, or objects reappear. David Copperfield, a modern-day magician, has made such large objects as the Statue of Liberty and a jet airplane disappear in front of live audiences.

Escape magic is just as it sounds. The most famous escape artist was Harry Houdini, who performed a number of daring escapes in front of large audiences in exotic locations. Suspended high in the air, Houdini would be handcuffed and placed inside locked or otherwise sealed containers and emerge moments later. Escape magic is intriguing not only because of the amazing feat, but also because of the danger involved.

Mentalists are another form of magicians who appear to read the minds of strangers. 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. The mystery of the mentalist lies in the performance in front of a live audience. Some mentalists in modern times have even created tricks for television where they seem to read the minds of viewers!

How and where magicians perform varies a great deal as well. Street magic, close-up magic, and stage magic all offer amazing performances in vastly different settings. Street magic is as it sounds, performed outside and in the spur of the moment. 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.

Close-up magic is performed indoors or out, and often involves such things as card or coin tricks. It is performed just as it sounds--in close range. The audience is small, and the magician sits or stands in the middle, which adds to the allure--when people surround the magician, he or she has little room to "hide" anything. Additionally, when the audience is so close, one might assume the observers could easily see the magician's tricks--but this isn't the case!

Finally, stage magic is just as it sounds--magic performed onstage. These magic tricks date back in history to the 1700s, and are often very elaborate performances. Stage magicians offer an extensive range of tricks from sleight of hand to making large objects float or disappear. Oftentimes large animals are involved. There are a number of present-day famous stage magicians, including Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield, and Penn and Teller.

Article Source : http://www.articledashboard.com

Magic Trick Facts is an information site that contains articles, a directory and other Magic Trick Resources . It can be found at: www.magictrickfacts.com

...

magictricks-47

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Performing Magic for Kids: Part I - The Secret Most Magicians Don't Know About Kid Shows
Author: J.L. Siefers

You have just discovered the wonderful world of magic. Trip after trip to the magic shop has added to your ever growing arsenal of magic tricks. Thirty-three days later the credit card bills arrive to remind your wife that this IS an expensive hobby.

No problem! You will make back all of the money you've spent and more by becoming a part-time professional magician. Looking around for places to hone your craft, you suddenly remember that you niece has a seventh birthday coming up. You call you sister and offer your services in lieu of a gift.

Two weeks later the performance time arrives. You pack all of your ace material into two large cardboard boxes. You start the show for sixteen first graders and all of your relatives. The show goes well. Everybody is laughing and having a good time. You take some theatrical pauses to build suspense as you search your boxes for the next great trick. Finally, your fifteen minute show concludes after fifty-three minutes. You never realized you had that much great magic. The kids cheer and applaud for your debut magic show. Even your sister, wiping the tears from her eyes, says, "I have never had more fun than I did watching your magic show. It was great. John got it all on tape."

This is how many part-time professional magicians attempt to begin their career. They look around and decided that doing kid shows is the best way to start. Performing magic for kids is one of the most difficult areas of magic to do well. This series of articles explore some of the challenges of performing children's magic.

The next article explains the four most important things you must do when perfroming magic for children.

Copyright © 2005 J.L. Siefers, All rights reserved.

J.L. Siefers has been performing great magic for years. He has written extensively on many topics in magic. He has shown hundreds of people how to successfully learn to do great magic tricks.

Want to learn to do magic? Click now to get your FREE magic tricks! http://www.Learn-Great-Magic-Tricks.com " http://www.Learn-Great-Magic-Tricks.com

Sign up for The Magic Way newsletter! It's FREE: http://www.learn-great-magic-tricks.com/magic-newsletter.html " http://www.learn-great-magic-tricks.com/magic-newsletter.html

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magictricks-47

Magic Tricks
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Performing Magic for Kids: Part I - The Secret Most Magicians Don't Know About Kid Shows
Author: J.L. Siefers

You have just discovered the wonderful world of magic. Trip after trip to the magic shop has added to your ever growing arsenal of magic tricks. Thirty-three days later the credit card bills arrive to remind your wife that this IS an expensive hobby.

No problem! You will make back all of the money you've spent and more by becoming a part-time professional magician. Looking around for places to hone your craft, you suddenly remember that you niece has a seventh birthday coming up. You call you sister and offer your services in lieu of a gift.

Two weeks later the performance time arrives. You pack all of your ace material into two large cardboard boxes. You start the show for sixteen first graders and all of your relatives. The show goes well. Everybody is laughing and having a good time. You take some theatrical pauses to build suspense as you search your boxes for the next great trick. Finally, your fifteen minute show concludes after fifty-three minutes. You never realized you had that much great magic. The kids cheer and applaud for your debut magic show. Even your sister, wiping the tears from her eyes, says, "I have never had more fun than I did watching your magic show. It was great. John got it all on tape."

This is how many part-time professional magicians attempt to begin their career. They look around and decided that doing kid shows is the best way to start. Performing magic for kids is one of the most difficult areas of magic to do well. This series of articles explore some of the challenges of performing children's magic.

The next article explains the four most important things you must do when perfroming magic for children.

Copyright © 2005 J.L. Siefers, All rights reserved.

J.L. Siefers has been performing great magic for years. He has written extensively on many topics in magic. He has shown hundreds of people how to successfully learn to do great magic tricks.

Want to learn to do magic? Click now to get your FREE magic tricks! http://www.Learn-Great-Magic-Tricks.com " http://www.Learn-Great-Magic-Tricks.com

Sign up for The Magic Way newsletter! It's FREE: http://www.learn-great-magic-tricks.com/magic-newsletter.html " http://www.learn-great-magic-tricks.com/magic-newsletter.html

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magictricks-46

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Setting Up Your Magic Shows: Part III - The Most Important Step To Setting Up Your Magic Show
Author: J.L. Siefers

Step 3

You have created individual magic trick files for all of the effects in your performing repertoire. A customer calls you on the phone and books you to perform at their next event. When you are ready to design a show for a customer here's what to do:

• Create a folder called "Customers."
• Within the "Customers folder create a subfolder using the customer's name. I don't use a date with the folder because I expect to have several shows over many years in this folder. For example Barb Jones calls me up and books me to perform at her son's birthday party. I create a subfolder called "Barb Jones" in my "Customers" folder.
• Create a word processing file (called a "show file") using the following naming format:

Customer-Month-Day-Year In the above example, I might create a file called Barb Jones-01-15-2005.doc. This file would contain the show I performed for Barb Jones on January 11, 2005. This record is great to have when she rebooks you for a show. You have a permanent record of all of your shows.

The show file has the following format:

I. Details of the show including time and place.

II. Opening - including any music or other setups

III. Trick 1 - Trick Name

• Items Needed to Perform Trick
• Setup Notes

IV. Trick 2 - Trick Name

• Items Needed to Perform Trick
• Setup Notes

V. Trick 3 - Trick Name

• Items Needed to Perform Trick
• Setup Notes

VI. Trick 4 - Trick Name

• Items Needed to Perform Trick
• Setup Notes

VII. Closing - including any music or other setups

I create the show file by going back to my magic trick files and cutting and pasting the first three sections into the show file. Using the order suggested in Step 2 makes this faster. All of your hard work in the prior step makes this step really quick. What you end up with is a detailed checklist customized for each show.

The next article shows the most important and final step in setting up your magic show.

Copyright © 2005 J.L. Siefers, All rights reserved.

J.L. Siefers has been performing great magic for years. He has written extensively on many topics in magic. He has shown hundreds of people how to successfully learn to do great magic tricks.

Want to learn to do magic? Click now to get your FREE magic tricks! http://www.Learn-Great-Magic-Tricks.com " http://www.Learn-Great-Magic-Tricks.com

Sign up for The Magic Way newsletter! It's FREE: http://www.learn-great-magic-tricks.com/magic-newsletter.html " http://www.learn-great-magic-tricks.com/magic-newsletter.html

...