Make no mistake, practice is an art like any other. Although not in the definitive meaning of the word, it is still very much an art (or skill if you like) which takes some time to learn. In this article I will attempt to address and explain the fundamentals of practice to obtain the best results for time spent.
Pick a location
This should be your initial step in the process and can make the difference between time well spent and time well wasted. When you pick a location, it should meet the following conditions:
- Props can be left without worry of tampering by others.
- Area has good lighting.
- Must have at minimum a mirror big enough to reflect the props you are working with. Ideally should have a full
length mirror. - Shelving or table to hold and organize your props.
- Quiet location with no outside distractions.
- OPTIONAL (but very helpful) small table, some chairs, room to walk around without clutter (ie, beds/dressers/etc).
Organize your props
Arrange all of your props/materials in a convenient order that suits you and your style. They must be set out for clear and easy access and always returned to the same location. (A place for everything and everything in its place). Not only will you benefit by being able to find what you need, you will also avoid the wasted time and stress of hunting for your items.
Pick a time
It is essential to select a convenient time to set aside for your practice sessions. It must be a time when you know you will not have other commitments, when you are not normally tired and one that you can commit to on a daily basis. This time will be blocked out strictly for practice and should be the same time each day. Consistency is very important when practicing and this will help to make your practice a habit (good habits are as easy to form as bad habits, so start right).
When starting out I recommend half an hour time slots, and adding to this in 15 minute blocks as you progress further in your magic skills, up to a maximum of 1.5 hours for amateurs and 2.5 hours for semi-professionals and 4 hours for professionals. Regardless of your skill level, when you exceed the above recommendations, you are not only fatigued, but also not alert enough to catch tiny mistakes which mean you are now entering the time well wasted region.
How to practice
Break your practice session down into 15 minute sections, with the first 10 minutes being actual practice and the last 5 being for analysis of your practice (i.e., reviewing mentally how you held and moved the props for the trick you are practicing). It is a proven fact that people learn more quickly and retain information longer when study is done in this time frame.
Always start your practice session with the newest trick that you are learning and gradually move through your list of tricks from newest to oldest. I recommend keeping a list consisting of the following categories:
- Learning
- Currently Performing
- Can Perform
Under each of these headings, list all relevant tricks. Your practice session should now take you through ONE learning , TWO currently performing (changing each session) and ONE from can perform (changing each session).
When you are learning a new trick, DON'T use the mirror. Until you have spent some time training your hands to execute the required moves, it is very difficult to use the mirror as everything is reversed for you. Once your hands have started to develop a "memory" for the moves, then it is time for the mirror.
As you practice your 'currently performing' and 'can perform' tricks, you must practice not only the trick itself but also your patter and audience interaction. For this I find it quite helpful to have a few chairs set up with stuffed animals on them (to represent an audience), as this forces me to look at my audience as a I practice the routine. This is where a full length mirror can be very useful.
I realize that not everyone has access to a video camera, but for those who do, filming your practice sessions can be an invaluable tool as you are then able to review and critique your routines and make any adjustments required. Using this tool gives you the perspective that your audience would have in a live setting. (This is where the stuffed animals can really be helpful).
In summary, when you practice in an organized and progressive manner, not only will you learn more quickly, you will also avoid the stress usually associated with practice and your live performances will appear much more refined since you will have developed the confidence in your skills through practice time well spent.
Author: rossco
