Being on the cutting edge of technology, where typing is almost a daily requirement, makes acquiring the correct keyboard techniques essential. With a keyboard, you can be more productive and do tasks more quickly, but you can also keep up with your brain since that tiny voice in your head that has brilliant ideas might only linger for a few seconds before it’s forgotten if you type quickly enough.
We’ll provide you five pointers in this post to help you start typing correctly and quickly. Some of the advice is very clear, but we’ll provide you a few apps to experiment with so you can pick it up more quickly.
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1. Get rid of bad habits
The hardest thing to do is probably to break your terrible typing habits. Since you first started using a keyboard, you’ve probably used the exact same technique, even down to how you position your hands. First Person Shooter (FPS) gamers are likely accustomed to using their left hand to press the WASD keys and may have stronger left hand fingers than right (speaking from experience here).
Some people only use two fingers to type, hovering over 10 or more keys apiece while always keeping an eye on the keyboard to find the correct keys. Although you might be typing quickly with only half the required number of fingers, you need to stop right away and break that habit.
2. Use all 10 fingers
Relearning the proper finger positioning on the keyboard is the next step. You’ll see raised bumps on each F-key and J-key if you look closely at your keyboard. This will make it easier for you to arrange your fingers correctly without having to glance at the keyboard.
Your index fingers should ideally rest on the F and J keys, and the other fingers will position themselves automatically.
You’ll see coloured regions in the image below that represent the keys that each finger has reached. You’ll note that only a few keys on the keyboard are pressed with the middle and ring fingers, while the central area of the keyboard is covered by the index fingers. The little finger mostly operates the arrow, punctuation, and function keys.
Visit websites like theTypingClub or Typing Online where they walk you through each step to become accustomed with the keyboard if this confounds you. Some of their workouts just require two fingers, and as you progress through their programme, you’ll gradually learn how to type more quickly and accurately.
3. Learn to touch-type
Touch typing will follow. That occurs when you can type without looking at the keyboard. In fact, gazing at the keyboard actually makes experienced typists slower.
It needs practise, but we’re not talking about hours of practise, to get there. Before you train your fingers to use the keys they are in charge of, it can take several weeks. Do not switch back to your old typing style, even if it makes you slower.
Try typing words now without glancing at the keyboard, and try to keep in mind where each letter is on the keyboard. You can sneak a glimpse at the keyboard if you must, but then try the same phrase or sentence again without looking at it. It takes some time, but if you stick with it, it gets simpler every day.
If you eventually figure out where each key is, all that’s left to do is pump up the pace.
4. Navigate with basic keyboard shortcuts
Why Windows and Mac OS have so many keyboard shortcuts is not surprising. Why use a mouse when you can navigate with both of your hands on the keyboard? Just the more popular ones need to be retained; not all of them.
The following common shortcuts are primarily used in word processing software:
| Shortcuts | Descriptions |
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + S | Save |
| Ctrl + F | Search for word |
| Ctrl + A | Highlight everything |
| Shift + Left Arrow or Right Arrow | Hightlight next letter |
| Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow or Right Arrow | Highlight next word |
| Ctrl + Left Arrow or Right Arrow | Navigate text cursor to next word without highlight |
| Home | Go to beginning of line |
| End | Go to end of line |
| Page up | Scroll up |
| Page Down | Scroll down |
During web-surfing, shortcut keys are also an option. You can use the following keyboard shortcuts to navigate through web browsers.
| Shortcuts | Descriptions |
| Ctrl + Tab | Switch to next tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + Tab | Switch to previous tab |
| Ctrl + T | Open new tab |
| Ctrl + W | Close current tab |
| Ctrl + Shift + T | Open previously closed tab |
| Ctrl + R | refresh current webpage |
| Ctrl + N | Open new web browser window |
| Backspace | Go back one page |
| Shift + Backspace | Go forward one page |
Below are a few standard keyboard shortcuts for Windows’ more general navigation.
| Shortcuts | Descriptions |
| Alt + Tab | Switch to next opened window |
| Alt + Shift + Tab | Switch to previous opened window |
| Alt + F4 | Close current window |
As many of the modifier keys, such as Ctrl, Alt, and Shift, are located closest to your little finger, using these shortcut keys will frequently require the little finger.
5. Practice with apps
Typing on a keyboard for practise doesn’t have to be difficult (although it may feel like it at times). Many typing games are available for practise. These are a few places where you can have fun while learning how to master the keyboard.
TypeRacer
Each participant is represented by a car in the easy-to-learn game TypeRacer. To move your car in a race against other players, you’ll be given a passage of text from a book or the lyrics of a song. The person who completes the passage first wins.
Keybr.com
Instead of entering random letters, Keybr creates understandable random sentences with some words spelled wrong to help you recall common letter combinations. You can use the statistics it provides to determine which key on the keyboard you are weakest in. Also, it provides multiple keyboard layouts and words in many languages.
Touch Typing Study
By frequently asking you to type certain letters with the appropriate finger, the exercises on this website help you become accustomed to the finger placement. It is also available in several languages.
Learn Typing
Learn Typing is a plain-looking website with a tonne of explanations that is helpful for new touch typists. There are also more difficult workouts that you can perform after you’ve finished the fundamentals.