How to Become a Magician for Beginners (Tips, Links & Videos)
- Ryan Joyce
- Jul 26, 2019
- 9 min read
Updated: Jun 8, 2024
Do you want to learn how to become a magician?
Step into the captivating world of magic and discover the surprising journey to becoming a magician, where secrets and skills blend to create awe-inspiring moments.
How to Become a Magician
Magic is an exciting hobby, interest, and profession!
I've been a professional magician for over thirty years. I've performed close-up magic in restaurants and toured the big stages with stage magic and grand illusions. My journey began by joining my local magic club and visiting magic shops to discover new tricks.
I practiced card tricks and worked on my stage presence to prepare for my very first magic show.
Many magicians start like I did, buying magic tricks and learning from others in magic clubs. Finding your performance style is important as you grow as a magician. I can help you with your journey into the magic world.
In this post, you'll learn the five steps to becoming a successful magician and how to amaze others with your tricks. Whether you're just starting your magic act or looking to improve your performance skills, these tips will help budding magicians like you shine.
Here are the most important takeaways:
Start with simple tricks and gradually progress to more complex ones.
Practice consistently to hone skills and build confidence.
Study the work of accomplished magicians for inspiration and learning.
Perform as much as possible for various audiences to gain experience and feedback.
Understand the importance of presentation and storytelling in magic.
Join magic communities or clubs to network and learn from others.
Continuously innovate and add personal touches to create a unique style, aiming to become a masterful magician.
These are the secrets I wish I had known when I started my journey in magic. Let’s dive in!
Jump to a section:
Let's dive in and learn how to become a magician.
The 5 Steps To Becoming A Magician
Becoming a magician is similar to learning any other skill set or sport. Professional magicians must practice frequently to improve their magic skills and expand their knowledge.
Practice is key to mastering card tricks, performing close-up magic, or using magic props effectively.
Let's take a look at the five steps it takes to become a magician, just like your local professional magician.
Here are the five steps to becoming a magician:
Learn Magic Tricks, Secrets & Magician Theories - Learn various magic tricks and magician concepts behind the tricks.
Practice, Practice, Practice - Practice and perfect your tricks, focusing on performing magic tricks for your audience.
Connections and Feedback - Reach out to other magicians and magician communities. Get feedback from magicians you trust.
Perform As Often As You Can - We all get nervous performing magic! The more time you spend performing, the easier and more polished you become.
Repeat - Keep at it!!! The difference between a good magician and a great magician is how much time you dedicate to performing and improving.
Magic Skills: The Art of Magic is Technical by Nature.
A magician practices hours to learn complicated moves that an audience will never see! So, how do magicians become magicians? The obvious answer is that they perform magic tricks after hours of practicing magic.
Perform Magic Tricks
Performing magic tricks is the biggest secret to becoming a successful magician. Just like pilots need flight time, magicians perform and improve by showcasing their skills in magic shows.
Perform as often as you can!
Professional magicians know that mastering basic tricks and understanding magical theory is essential, but frequent performances make a difference.
Should You Become a Professional Magician?
Becoming a professional magician is more than just knowing tricks.
Successful magicians use great storytelling and unique personalities to shine and connect with their audience. Being a professional magician also requires business skills to manage your career and continuous learning to improve your skill level.
From mastering coin tricks to perfecting your stage presence, being a professional magician means always growing and adapting.
Let’s talk about the first step, learning new magic tricks.
Step 1. How to Learn Magic
How To Become A Magician And Learn The Art Of Magic.
The first thing you must do is immerse yourself in a world of magic. Learn all the magic tricks you can!
Read, watch, and listen to every magic book, podcast, or magic instructional video you can get your hands on. Here’s a great resource for learning 20 easy magic tricks with household items.
In the early years of magic, it’s all about the tricks.
Get a well-rounded knowledge of magic secrets and learn all kinds of magic. Visit your local magic store. Join your magic club. Learn simple illusions. Learn complex illusions. Get a solid foundation of magic secrets and skills.
With time, you’ll learn to follow your instincts and discover which tricks resonate with your style and personality.
Additionally, joining magic clubs can provide valuable recommendations and insights from experienced magicians.
How to learn magic tricks and magician theory.
How do you learn the secrets to magic's most incredible tricks? Here is a look at the various ways to learn magic's methods.
1. Learn From Magic Books
Hundreds of magic books are available for magicians at all skill levels.
One of the most significant benefits of learning from books is that you aren't influenced by the teacher's style or character.
I have always been a big fan of learning from a magic book.
As a child of magic, the gold-standard magic book series was The Tarbell Course in Magic and The Mark Wilson Course in Magic.
I highly recommend it for both beginner magicians and magic enthusiasts.
Remember! Never overlook books-- you'll discover a lifetime of inspiration in old magic books. Keeping an eye on the past has been part of every successful magician's history.
2. Learn Magic on YouTube
YouTube and videos are excellent ways to learn the art of magic.
Watching another magician perform makes learning the nuances of complicated magic moves, sleights, or tricks much easier.
Video is a valuable way to learn magic tricks, but remember to add your personality and presentation to these magic tricks instead of copying.
Learn the Coin Through Balloon Routine here: https://www.magicianmasterclass.com/post/coin-through-balloon
3. Learn Magic from Other Magicians
One of the most enriching and effective ways for an aspiring magician to learn the art of magic is by joining a local magic club or society and attending magic conventions.
These magic clubs are not just gatherings but melting pots of expertise, experience, and shared passion.
Becoming a member immerses yourself in a community that lives and breathes magic.
Join a Magic Club
In a magic club, you'll find more experienced magicians and newcomers alike, each with unique tricks up their sleeve. Here, knowledge isn't just passed down through formal lessons; it's shared in conversations, demonstrated in impromptu performances, and discussed over shared challenges.
You'll witness firsthand the diverse styles and approaches to magic, providing a broader understanding of the craft.
Find a Magician Organization
Magic societies like the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians often host workshops, lectures, and special events where renowned magicians showcase their skills and reveal insights into their techniques.
These events are invaluable for learning advanced tricks and understanding performance nuances.
But it's not all about learning new tricks.
Joining a magic club is a gateway to forming mentorships and friendships.
Learn from Experienced Magicians
Seasoned magicians can provide personalized guidance, helping you refine your technique and develop your unique style. They can also offer practical advice on navigating the world of professional magic, from booking shows to managing stage presence.
Magic Clubs Offer Opportunities
Furthermore, these clubs often provide opportunities to perform, whether in club meetings or at public events organized by the society.
Performing in front of fellow magicians who understand the intricacies of the craft is an excellent way to gain constructive feedback and build confidence.
Being part of a magic club or society is about being part of a tradition that values the sharing of knowledge and the continuous evolution of the magical arts.
It's a place where magic is practiced and celebrated, offering a supportive environment for anyone embarking on the magical journey.
4. Learn Magic From Magician Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to keep your ear on the pulse of magic.
Many magicians enjoy podcasts because they cover a broad spectrum of magic topics, including business, performance advice, conventions, and interviews.
They can also provide long-form conversations on essential topics like magician theory.
Where do magicians buy magic tricks?
The age of the brick-and-mortar magic shop appears to be coming to an end.
There are very few local magic shops that you can visit in person and do your magic shopping. If your city has a local magic shop, support them. Shop local. You meet magician friends and fellow aspiring magicians and share your own tricks.
Most magicians buy their magic online at stores like:
After you've learned many magic tricks, it's time to perform. Whether you are presenting a trick for one person or an entire audience, there are some essential steps you need to take first.
Step 2. Perform Your First Magic Trick
Before you perform any trick, you must practice.
Practice the trick endlessly until you can do it in your sleep.
The reality is some magic tricks are much easier to perform than others.
You have to be able to complete the trick without hesitation or thinking about what's next. Any awkward pauses or delays in your performance will signal to your audience that something isn't quite right.
That's why it's critical to practice, practice, practice.
Once you are confident that you are ready, it's time for your first magic show or performance!
Remember, it's one thing to know the secret to a magic trick and another thing to perform it.
All successful magicians work tirelessly on their magic tricks by practicing the moves, actions, and patter.
Patter is the script that you say during a magic trick.
When you watch an outstanding magician perform a trick that looks effortless, they have likely presented that trick hundreds of times.
The more you perform magic, the more confident you get.
Each time you show a trick, it is like sanding the rough edges and making your routine smoother.
It will get better and better each time.
Entertaining as a magician requires focus. Magicians who execute the most difficult tricks make it look effortless because they have performed their routines countless times.
However, like every journey, it starts with taking your first step-- and for magic, that's your first magic performance. Get practicing!
Step 3. Connect with other magicians and the magician community.
Discover the magic community and a world of professional magic.
Meeting and collaborating with other magicians is crucial to improving your skills. Only other magicians can provide helpful feedback based on experience. Getting feedback is critical to becoming the best magician you can be.
Plus, you can meet new friends who also share your passion for the art of magic.
Magicians seeking to connect with fellow magicians have several online opportunities, including forums and message boards. There are also in-person meetings, magician associations and annual conventions worldwide.
Here are a few online resources for connecting with other magicians:
The Magic Cafe: themagiccafe.com - an online magician forum
Reddit: https://reddit/r/magic - online forum
Step 4. Perform As Often As You Can
Suppose you want to be a great magician; what's the secret?
You must perform often.
Find as many ways as possible to present your magic, including small social gatherings and events at school or work. Join your local community theater if you want to learn the skills of a stage magician.
You'll learn a wide range of complementary skills about performance art, including what it's like to work for tough audiences and storytelling.
The secret to being a successful magician and entertainer is performing your magic as often as possible.
You need to be confident, and your magic needs to look effortless. When you perform a piece of magic hundreds of times, you understand how to maximize the entertainment value at every moment of the magic trick.
Anticipating in advance how spectators react will take your magic to the next level.
You must know every turn, movement, and potential misstep of a routine.
The only way to earn mastery as a magician is through repetition.
And, of course, magic can also be a business that earns you income-- but that's a conversation for another blog post.
Step 5. Repeat
Repetition and dedication to improving your magic are the biggest secrets to being a great magician.
Whether you are building a magic show or presenting a few card tricks, these five steps are essential to building confidence and perfecting your skills. The best thing you can do is repeat them.
Getting feedback from people you trust is essential.
Don't get stuck in a bubble of your ego. Understand that not every one of your performances will be the best.
Learn from your mistakes, get back up, and do it again.
Your job as a magician is to inspire wonder in your audience's imagination. Every time you perform a magic trick, that impact will become more robust and polished.
To become a great magician, you must perform magic a lot!
Never forget that the real magic happens in your audience's mind; don't do your tricks about you and your skills. Take your audiences out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary and make them feel great-- they'll remember you forever.
CONCLUSION
Magic is an incredible art, hobby, and profession that can provide you with plenty of unique opportunities and even take you worldwide.
To be a successful magician, you need more than great magic tricks.
A great magician uses magic, personality, scripting, and storytelling to capture their audience's imaginations and make them feel astonished.
Work hard on your sleights and moves.
Learn a wide range of magic and understand the theory behind each trick. Practice your magic tricks regularly by performing them as often as you can.
Connect with other magicians and get feedback from people you trust.
Absorb yourself in the world of magic and make an effort to improve, learn, and grow every day.
That's it!
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 Ryan Joyce is the Executive Director of the Ontario OWOW Magic Festival. Ryan is a professional magician, entertainer, and speaker who has performed over 6000+ shows worldwide. He has appeared on Penn & Teller's Fool Us, Canada's Got Talent, and every Canadian national television network. He has over 10+ million views on YouTube, Facebook, and social media and is trusted by Fortune 500 companies to deliver world-class performance. |
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