Shaky Hands

Welcome to our community!!!

@Jaume:

I got into card magic about a year and a half ago.

Excellent!!!

@Jaume:

When I practice by myself, it's fantastic, but when I'm in front of someone, even someone I trust completely, my hands start shaking so badly that my moves get totally exposed.

That's usually "the guilt" when it comes to "doing the secret work," and generally, it's all mental (even though it affects your hands).

You're afraid you'll mess up or you doubt yourself.

@Jaume:

Can anyone give me some tips?

You need to learn to relax somehow and not overthink "the secret move." Create a small distraction with some patter right when you're doing the technique that makes your hands shake (assuming your hands only shake during that specific moment and not from the very beginning).

@Jaume:

I'm running out of friends, and I don't want to keep repeating tricks to practice on them.

If they're true friends, they'll put up with it 😊 (that's just my personal opinion 😄)

@Jaume:

I guess these jitters are normal, but if anyone has a "magic bullet"...

They're usually normal until you gain confidence in what you're doing.

And to gain that confidence, you have to do it over and over again. Even if you "fail" or "get caught," persevere and keep trying until you nail it. And who better than your friends? If they already know the trick, they'll be the best ones to tell you when you've absolutely crushed it (and when that trick is ready for strangers on the street).

Basically, try to relax (I know, easier said than done) and have some tricks in your repertoire where you don't even have to touch the cards. That way, when your hands start shaking, you can do those tricks to relax and build confidence, then continue with your other sleight of hand effects.

All the best and good magic!

Hey there. What you're experiencing is totally normal, especially if you're skipping steps in the learning process (I'll illustrate with an analogy: crawl-walk-run), or if you haven't quite figured out your path as a magician yet.

What do I mean by 'your path as a magician'? Well, it's about the type of magician you want to be. You could be a magician just for family and friends, or you might want to be a public performer (someone who wants to perform for strangers too). There are other paths, but they usually require you to go through these first ones. So, start by defining what kind of magician you want to be. That way, you'll know which direction to take, avoid getting lost down rabbit holes, and not waste time learning things that won't serve you later on.

To build confidence, start with easy, self-working, or semi-automatic tricks. In the beginning, self-working is best, because these will let you focus on developing a strong patter, interacting with your audience, and gaining confidence as a performer. And of course, while you're doing that, practice more complex moves (remember: crawl-walk-run). Once those moves become second nature, then you can present them to an audience.

It can also be helpful to find a trusted family member or friend to perform for, someone who will give you honest feedback. Obviously, when you do the same trick for that friend or family member a second time, don't expect them to be amazed. Remember, they're helping you with your learning process.

Alright, I'll stop here before I get too excited and ramble on. Cheers!

Hey everyone! I get shaky hands too. As I've advanced to more difficult tricks, my hands shake more when I have to do a cull, a palm, or a double/triple lift... This doesn't happen to me in music; I've been on stage for 25 years, but I remember my first concerts were a bundle of nerves, so I'm sure that experience helps you lose that fear.

To confront it directly and overcome it, I put on a little magic show for friends at one of their places. I did it just last night, and there were 25-30 people who already knew what they were in for—that I was going to face my stage fright in magic. In fact, they encouraged me to do it. The experience was wonderful, and I recommend it to all of you who have shaky hands, stage fright... If your friends support you and know they're there to help you, you feel very supported; you know that if you mess up, absolutely nothing happens... The second trick I did was 'The Innocent Cheat'; I was a bit scared of the 6-card turnover and the unload, but it went great... And once I managed to do the Matrix, my shoulders relaxed, my hands stopped shaking, and I had a blast... Also, since I recorded everything on video, now that I'm reviewing it, I'm noticing all the mistakes, so it helps me improve.

I'm sharing a video of an 'Always 3' I did yesterday, just before the Matrix and when I was still very nervous.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGIO-qrscoV/?igsh=MWw3YWl4dTFwNHJqbQ==

Hey Jaume, a while back, I gave some advice on practicing magic with friends and family. PRACTICE.

I think they're the best audience to build confidence before performing for strangers. That whole "running out of friends" line sounds pretty awful, but perhaps you should have a bit more faith in your abilities.

Anyway, I won't ramble on, since you've already received some great advice. If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to ask about them here. Best,

Hey there. I had that same shaky hands problem for the first 15 or 20 years I was doing magic, lol. It's super common. All the comments I'm reading are spot-on: start with self-working or semi-automatic tricks to focus on your patter. Only perform sleights you have MASTERED. And mastered means they flow with absolute naturalness and total confidence (that takes consistency and time: practice, practice, practice... (e.g., until you can do an Elmsley Count without even thinking about it, instead of having to consciously count four packets)). If you introduce even ONE technique into your act that you haven't MASTERED, you'll get nervous.

One little TIP that really helped me: REST YOUR HANDS (on the mat, on your knees, wherever the trick allows). What really made me nervous wasn't just getting caught or the trick failing, but the simple fact that they could see my hands shaking. For a long time, this little tip really helped me with the hand tremors.

A final psychological tip that worked for me, but it relies on what I mentioned before – MASTERING the sleights you use – was to focus so much on the patter that my attention was entirely there. Since the mind can't think about two things at once, I didn't "remember" that I was supposed to be nervous because my hands might shake.