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Touch typing for beginners
Touch typing means typing by feel, with each finger responsible for its own keys, so your eyes can stay on the screen.
Which finger presses which key
This is the standard layout for a QWERTY keyboard. Your index fingers rest on F and J, the two outlined keys, which have small bumps you can feel.
How to start
- Find home. Rest your left fingers on A, S, D and F, and your right fingers on J, K, L and ;. Your thumbs hover over the space bar.
- Reach and return. Each finger reaches for its key and comes back home.
- Go slowly. You will likely feel slower at first. Aim for the right finger every time, and let speed come later.
- Learn a few keys at a time. Start with the home row, then add the rows above and below.
- Practice little and often. Short sessions are easier to keep up than long ones.
Do you need to use all ten fingers?
Not necessarily. An Aalto University study found that self-taught typists can reach speeds comparable with touch typists using fewer fingers. Fast typists on both sides shared three habits: using the same finger for a letter every time, preparing the next keystroke early, and moving their hands as little as possible.
So if you already type quickly with your own system, relearning from scratch may not be worth it. Tightening your habits could help more. If you are starting out or you stare at the keys, the chart above gives you a solid system to build on. See also how to stop looking at the keyboard.