The
best magic tricks are easy to perform. A large part of the enjoyment people experience when watching card, coin, or close-up magic is the connection they have with you. Keeping magic easy allows you to take your mind off what you are doing and engage with your spectators, thereby developing this connection.
A few thoughts on keeping it simple:
- Look for magic that requires little to no sleight of hand. This will let you focus on presentation and your spectators. Some examples of easy magic tricks that embody this are Clean Thru by Lonnie Chevrie, Killer Cut by John Kaplan and Omnilope by Jay Sankey.
- If a magic trick requires a sleight or technique that you find difficult, change or modify it to fit your abilities. If after sufficient practice you still find the sleight difficult, don’t perform the magic trick. Keep looking for something you are comfortable with.
- If you are uncomfortable with a magic routine, change it until it suits your style. Add comedy or other props. Find magic that fits your style and personality, making the magic an extension of who you are. This will help you to focus on performance, and allow your friends and spectators to enjoy your personality.
- Perform routines that are direct and to the point. This will streamline your magic making it simpler for you and easy for your friends or spectators to follow and understand.
The goal is for your audience to remember you as a performer. Keeping it simple with easy magic tricks, like the
easy magic tricks mentioned above, lets you engage and have a conversation with your audience. They want to be entertained, magic alone won’t do it. Give your audience what they want, an experience.