When you type on your computer, do you constantly look at the keyboard and play each letter at an excruciatingly slow speed? Learn to type fast to impress your friends and family! The following steps will increase your ability to type without looking at the keyboard, but will also teach you tricks that will increase your typing speed. By following all the steps in this article, you will eventually be able to type correctly and correct mistakes while looking at the screen instead of the keyboard.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Learning to Type on Your Keyboard
Step 1. Bring your fingers to the starting position
This is the position where your fingers will rest as you type. No matter what part of the keyboard you use, your fingers always have to return to this position.
- Place your right index finger on the "J" key and let the other three fingers rest naturally on the "K", "L" and "Ñ" keys. Place your left index finger on the "F" key and let the other three fingers rest naturally on the "D", "S" and "A" keys respectively. Both thumbs should be resting on the space bar, but only the right one should press it.
- You should feel a bump on the "F" and "J" keys. This will allow you to find the starting position without having to look at the keyboard.
Step 2. Write each letter from left to right
Write each of the letters with your fingers in the starting position, going from left to right: a s d f j k l ñ.
Avoid moving your fingers from their positions; just press the keys under which they are located.
Step 3. Repeat, but this time in capital letters
Do the same again, but this time in capital letters: A S D F J K L Ñ. To do this, use the Shift key instead of the Caps Lock key. Press the Shift key with only your little finger moving and hold it down while pressing the desired key with your other hand.
- In other words, when the letter you want to capitalize is inside the keys that you press with your left hand, you must press the Shift key on the right side using your right little finger.
- When the letter you want to capitalize is within the keys that you press with your right hand, you must press the Shift key on the left side using your left little finger.
Step 4. Familiarize yourself with the rest of the alphabet
Learn where each letter is located on the keyboard and match the correct finger to its corresponding key (the thumbs should never be the closest finger, as they only work for the space bar).
- You must write the "q", "a" and "z" keys using the little finger of your left hand, with which you must also press the Tab, Caps Lock and Shift keys.
- You must write the keys "w", "s" and "x" with the ring finger of your left hand.
- You must write the keys "e", "d" and "c" with the middle finger of your left hand.
- The keys "r", "f", "v", "b", "g" and "t" must be typed with the index finger of your left hand.
- Your thumb should never leave the space bar.
- The "u", "j", "n", "m", "h" and "y" keys should be written with the index finger of your right hand.
- The keys "i", "k" and the button with the symbol ";" and "," you should write them with the middle finger of the right hand.
- The "o", "i" keys and the button with the "." and ":" you must write them with the ring finger of the right hand.
- The little finger of your right hand is used to press the keys: p ","; ",": "," '"," "" (quotation marks), "/", "?", "[", "{ ","] ","} "," \ "," | " and is used to press Enter, Shift, and the space bar.
Step 5. Write the first sentence
Starting at the starting position, write "Old Señor Gómez asked for cheese, kiwi and beans, but he had a saxophone." This sentence contains all the letters of the alphabet, making it a perfect sentence for practicing finger placement.
- Write this sentence over and over again, watching your fingers to make sure they press the correct keys and return to the starting position.
- Once you start to get comfortable with the way your fingers move, try taking a look at the screen as you type, instead of looking at the keyboard. This is known as touch typing.
Part 2 of 4: Improve Your Writing Skills
Step 1. Practice touch typing
Learning to type using touch is the most important factor in increasing typing speed. In fact, as you get better, looking at the keyboard will only slow you down. At first it can be difficult, but train yourself so that you can write by looking only at the screen.
- Initially it will be a slow process and you may need to glance at the keyboard from time to time, but over time your fingers will be able to find the correct keys on their own.
- A good tip is to say the name of the letters as you write. This will help your brain to associate the letter with the corresponding finger movement.
Step 2. Prioritize accuracy over speed
Of course, speed means nothing if you have to go back and correct a lot of mistakes after each sentence. However, this is essential that you focus more on precision than speed.
- If you make a mistake, go back and correct it immediately. Try to do it without looking at the keyboard.
- If you feel like you're making a lot of mistakes, make an effort to slow down your typing speed until you achieve 100% accuracy.
Step 3. Use the entire keyboard appropriately
Although you may have become used to typing very fast, you may still feel uncomfortable with some of the keys that you use less frequently, such as symbols and numbers.
If you don't learn how to use these keys correctly while typing, you will soon find that they slow down as you progress. To avoid this, be sure to incorporate all of these infrequent keys into your practice sentences
Step 4. Write in quick, well-defined movements
Do not hit the keyboard, that is, do not press the keys without pointing first, otherwise you will press many keys at the same time.
Avoid tapping your fingers every time you type. Your fingers and hands will get tired and they will feel like a burden rather than a tool. In other words, don't hit the keys, but rather hit them
Step 5. Learn some keyboard shortcuts
Things like copying, pasting, saving, and highlighting can slow you down as you type. Fortunately, there are a few shortcuts you can use to accomplish these actions without lifting your fingers from the keyboard. Some of the most common shortcuts are as follows:
-
Keep:
Command + S
-
Copy:
Command + C
-
Cut:
Command + X
-
Paste:
Command + V
-
Undo:
Command + Z
-
Redo:
Shift + Command + z
-
Highlight next letter:
Shift + left or right arrow
-
Highlight next word:
Command + Shift + left or right arrow
Step 6. Practice every day
The best way to learn is by practicing, so even if you're still very slow and typing every word key by key, take at least 10 minutes a day to practice typing.
- It won't take long to improve your writing and once you get used to it, you will never go back to old habits!
- After a while, start practicing with numbers and symbols, such as phone numbers, addresses, and the use of different symbols. The more complicated the sentences you choose, the more your writing level will advance.
Part 3 of 4: Perform Practice Exercises
Step 1. Practice writing random sentences
These are some of the traditional typing lines that will help you become an expert in the art of computer typing. Repeat each line many times without looking at the keyboard, then move on to the next. This will help you "memorize" the location of the keys, rather than the pattern of individual words.
- José bought an old panpipes in Peru. Excusing herself, Sofia dumped her whiskey down the sidewalk drain.
- That biographer gobbled up a strange vodka and garlic sandwich
- The corpse of Wamba, the Gothic king of Spain, was exhumed and transferred in a zinc box that weighed one kilo.
- The swift Hindu bat was happily eating baby squid and kiwi. The stork played the saxophone behind the straw palenque.
- Old Señor Gómez asked for cheese, kiwi and beans, but he had a saxophone.
- Whiskey-poisoned youngster: what a figure he exhibits!
- Good whiskey - excite my frail little old age!
- The exhausted mouth wants vine, kiwi, pineapple and fleeting ham.
- The young man poisoned by whiskey, what a figure he exhibits.
- I drink whiskey because I miss my crazy fleeting youth.
- He liked a delicious ham sandwich for dinner with pineapple juice and cold vodka.
- Heavy boxers perform quick trotting and movements.
- Only very few clubs have jukeboxes.
Step 2. Use a typing program on the web
There are many programs available that teach you to type quickly. Some include word games, others will ask you to rewrite paragraphs, while in others you will have to write while listening to an audio clip. Some are free, some are not; do an internet search so you can find the one that suits you best.
Part 4 of 4: Adjusting Your Workplace
Step 1. Create an ergonomically suitable workstation
Ergonomics is vital to the efficiency and comfort of your work environment. The most important aspects are your position and your posture. Ergonomics addresses the fact that the way you sit can affect how efficiently you write. An incorrect position can lead to more mistakes and slower typing.
- Make sure your keyboard is at a comfortable height for your fingers. Your hands should be level with the sides of your body as you write; maybe a little higher.
- Keep your wrists elevated. To achieve this, the use of wrist supports is useful, if you cannot remember to do it on your own. There are a range of supports available, such as a cushion. You can also improvise by placing a book that raises your wrists so that they are almost at the same height as the keyboard. You will move faster and have fewer errors.
- Sit up straight and place your feet flat on the floor.
Step 2. Consider switching to a Dvorak keyboard
Initially, you will probably be using a QWERTY keyboard, but there is also the option to switch to a Dvorak keyboard.
- The key layout on the QWERTY keyboard was designed to avoid jamming on typewriters (which is no longer necessary with computers), while the Dvorak keyboard was specifically designed to be more comfortable to use with your hands..
- However, if you share your computer with other people or if you change computers frequently, the design change will be confusing.
- In this article, you can find more information on how to use a Dvorak keyboard.
Advice
- Use the small plastic relief found on the "F" and "J" keys to keep your fingers in the correct place while you type. You can feel these keys with your index fingers as you type, while in the middle of a word.
- Don't look down while writing. Instead, make a sheet to serve as a reminder and place it at monitor level so you can look at it if you get stuck.
- If you plan to receive a typing certificate, try (if possible) to practice on a traditional keyboard and not on a laptop. The letters on some laptops may be closer together than the letters you will use to carry out the typing test.
- Learning to type takes a lot of effort, time, and patience. Keep it up!
- Relax your shoulders and sit up straight.
- If you have a hard time not looking at the keyboard, buy a keyboard cover or just cover it with a clean, flexible white sheet.
- Use a special typing program to reduce the number of keystrokes and typos. You can find some free or trial programs.
- If you want to make writing easier, improve your hand-eye coordination. It is of great help if you play the guitar or any other instrument that requires using your hands.
Warnings
- While using acronyms will allow you to type faster, it can decrease the quality of your texts and become a bad habit that is very difficult to overcome! Avoid practicing with the internet and with cell phone jargon like "lol", "bff", etc. Practice without using pseudo-words (i.e. consonants and vowels together), as these can prevent you from improving your typing speed.
- Never stoop. Incorrect posture could cause you to type slower, but it could also lead to carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive strain injuries. Take regular breaks and walk around so you can straighten your posture. Taking deep breaths from time to time is also very helpful.