An internet search on the words "How to learn magic" pulls up seventy million results! Many of these are dubious, off topic or otherwise useless.
Also keep in mind that the results at the top of the search are not always the best either.
They often direct you to paid websites that try to sell you a product.
It can be a challenge picking your way through such an overwhelming amount of information.
Certain internet search tips will help you find what you need faster, with more relevant results.
The more specific you are with your key word search, the better your results will be.
For example; instead of typing "How to learn magic" you could type "How to learn simple magic tricks", or "Best way to learn street magic" or "Simple card tricks".
The more specific that your search is the better your chances will be of pulling up information that is relevant to what you are searching for.
After you type in the specific topic into your browser, you will then have to weed through the results.
A search for card tricks, for example, will yield hundreds of websites on how to perform simple card tricks.
These web sites vary in quality and determining quickly whether or not a source is worth your time is crucial.
The site should be easy to read, uncluttered and with clearly defined topics.
If you don't reach easy, step by step illustrated instructions within one or two clicks, move on to the next site.
Official web sites by well know magicians are preferable to sites by armatures.
Overly complicated instructions or instructions detailing harder magic tricks are also a reason to move on.
Because magic is a visual medium and thus heavily dependent on presentation and style, instructional videos can be much more helpful than text based web sites.
YouTube is a great source for these types of videos.
Searching "Simple magic tricks" yields over two hundred thousand videos on the subject.
Filter the better ones from the dubious ones by first checking the video thumbnails.
If the thumbnail is blurry or obviously set in someone's living room or kitchen, pass it up and go on to the next.
You should avoid videos with titles such as "Learn to Eat Fire" or "Learn to Swallow Swords" as these are not simple but dangerous tricks.
Again, look for titles with professional well known magicians names first.
Scan the results for polished thumbnails featuring magicians on stage, or in front of an audience.
There are several on-line schools that claim to be able to teach you magic.
Most are free and provide detailed instructions in both video and text formats.
Beware of sites that allow free access to only part of their site, and then ask for payment to access the rest.
Stick with the tricks that are simple and easy to learn, such as card tricks or easy sleight of hand.
There are even sites that will teach you a trick using common household items.
Keep your internet searches specific and you can learn simple magic tricks in a short period of time.
Learn to filter search results quickly and effectively to avoid wasting time.
How-to magic videos can be very useful in showing, rather than telling you how to perform magic.
Don't try to learn complex magic tricks until you have mastered simple ones first.
Simple magic using common props that are easy to find will almost never disappoint.
How you perform is as important as what you perform.