Learning to type "correctly"

SuperPichu

Due to the fact that I had already been using computers for ~2-3 years by the time my school got around to teaching typing, I never learned to type "correctly" and currently use this really weird sort of hunt and peck method that is really inefficient. What are some good tools or tricks you guys know of to learn to type faster and has anyone else had a similar experience?

Axel

Hmm...I think you should try to keep your hands on the home-row (Asdf, jkl;) when you're not typing and just idling. When you need to start typing, hold your fingers on the homerow, look down, and try to only move the finger that needs to move. Eventually, you will get used to not having to look down and using your peripheral vision more often. Then, you will learn how to touch-type. It's a slow process, but you have to start somewhere.

zehaeva

Don't look at the keyboard? practice a ton? keep your fingers on the home row? I recall getting typing classes around 6th or 7th grade as well as playing those typing games at home. But that were about twenty years ago so I hope things have changed a bit!

Cremlian

yea just play lots of Typing of the dead :-p

Rym

Just type a lot and quickly. You have obviously never had to type at length if you still hunt and peck.

Try chatting in gchat more. Or, get a blank keyboard.

chaosof99

The Typing of the Dead.

Apreche

SuperPichu said:

Due to the fact that I had already been using computers for ~2-3 years by the time my school got around to teaching typing, I never learned to type "correctly" and currently use this really weird sort of hunt and peck method that is really inefficient. What are some good tools or tricks you guys know of to learn to type faster and has anyone else had a similar experience?

I didn't type properly until I took typing class in high school. We had old IBM XTs with Model M keyboards. We used some old typing software with little racecars.

Josh Bytes

For starters. Chuck that QWERTY keyboard and get real DVORAK keyboard. And then you will be well on your way to typing greatness.

Rym

Josh Bytes said:

For starters. Chuck that QWERTY keyboard and get real DVORAK keyboard. And then you will be well on your way to typing greatness.

LOLOL

Matt

Mario Teaches Typing on DOS circa 1992 did the trick for me.

ThatGent

What's the range of keys you use for each hand? For me, 6, y ,h ,n through escape is left hand territory.

Dragonmaster Lou

Josh Bytes said:

For starters. Chuck that QWERTY keyboard and get real DVORAK keyboard. And then you will be well on your way to typing greatness.

You do realize that the whole idea of Dvorak (it's not an acronym, it's a dude's name) being vastly superior to QWERTY is a myth, right?

Apreche

ThatGent said:

What's the range of keys you use for each hand? For me, 6, y ,h ,n through escape is left hand territory.

That is incorrect. 6yhn are supposed to be for the right hand.

onewild

Just play Typing of the Dead

TheWhaleShark

Rym said:

Josh Bytes said:

For starters. Chuck that QWERTY keyboard and get real DVORAK keyboard. And then you will be well on your way to typing greatness.

LOLOL

After you've switched to Dvorak typing, you can then begin learning Lojban. Makes the writing exercises much easier.

okeefe

I know exactly one person who uses Dvorak. He claims it helps with his RSI. I guess it works for him. (He also built foot pedals for Control and Alt/Meta, but this was in college, before the time of prevalent laptops.)

Dragonmaster Lou

okeefe said:

I know exactly one person who uses Dvorak. He claims it helps with his RSI. I guess it works for him. (He also built foot pedals for Control and Alt/Meta, but this was in college, before the time of prevalent laptops.)

Personally, I think switching to an ergonomic keyboard would do better with helping with RSI than switching to Dvorak, but hey, if the placebo effect works for you and doesn't cost anything (since you can set the Dvorak layout in software without buying other hardware)...

SuperPichu

Thanks for all the input I think I'm going to definitely download typing of the dead and possibly also Mario teaches typing which I did not know was a thing. Honestly I'm not terrible at my current typing method. I can get around 30 words per minute, but I would really like to be faster.

Apreche

SuperPichu said:

Thanks for all the input I think I'm going to definitely download typing of the dead and possibly also Mario teaches typing which I did not know was a thing. Honestly I'm not terrible at my current typing method. I can get around 30 words per minute, but I would really like to be faster.

I type the "correct" way, except for the fact that I almost always use left-shift even when I'm supposed to use right shift. I always get over 90, and often over 100 on typeracer.

Josh Bytes

Dragonmaster Lou said:

Josh Bytes said:

For starters. Chuck that QWERTY keyboard and get real DVORAK keyboard. And then you will be well on your way to typing greatness.

You do realize that the whole idea of Dvorak (it's not an acronym, it's a dude's name) being vastly superior to QWERTY is a myth, right?

Lou. I'm trolling.

Starfox

Apreche said:

I almost always use left-shift even when I'm supposed to use right shift.

Interesting, I do the same thing. Are you left-handed?

Aside: for some reason, if they're opposite-handed, I would expect Rym to be lefty and Scott to be righty. No idea why.

Rym

I'm extremely right-handed.

I play cards and hockey, however, left-handed.

Dragonmaster Lou

Josh Bytes said:

Dragonmaster Lou said:

Josh Bytes said:

For starters. Chuck that QWERTY keyboard and get real DVORAK keyboard. And then you will be well on your way to typing greatness.

You do realize that the whole idea of Dvorak (it's not an acronym, it's a dude's name) being vastly superior to QWERTY is a myth, right?

Lou. I'm trolling.

Ah, my troll detector seems to be non-functional today.

jabrams007

I took a typing class in high school, and also one of the first CD-ROM "games" I had was Mavis Beacon teaches typing, which also helped me learn.

MATATAT

I certainly don't keep my fingers on the correct keys all the time. I just use the finger with the key that fits correctly in my head. In some instances this leads to a weird pecking motion that is masked by the fact that it sorta looks like I'm typing correctly. I also switch between shifts on both sides of the keyboard for the opposite hand usually.

I dunno, works for me so I don't really care if its correct or not.

Josh Bytes

After knowing how to type since High School. I still have to look at the number keys on the top row. Especially for 5, 6 and 7. I didn't bother learning 10 key till I needed to know if for work.

Linkigi(Link-ee-jee)

I always use left shift. It probably slows me down a bit.

Ilmarinen

Play some roguelikes, you'll be typing quickly in no time.

Pegu

I used some kind of linux command line program to learn to type properly. I forget which one.

sK0pe

Josh Bytes said:

After knowing how to type since High School. I still have to look at the number keys on the top row. Especially for 5, 6 and 7. I didn't bother learning 10 key till I needed to know if for work.

I have the same issue, I got into the bad habit of not using the number rows for typing numbers and using the numpad instead (which I can touch type with however the slow down from moving my right hand away from the home row messes me up.

Also I become hugely ineffectual when using a laptop and need to input numbers.

I really should just get typing of the dead.

I've found since typing code I have gradually got the muscle memory for all the required characters which I didn't use before (such as various brackets and symbols). The reason this is weird is that I know where to put my fingers for round brackets but don't remember that those are the same keys for 9 and 0.

Michipoo18

Anyone have a favorite site that teaches kids to type? I had my 10 year old niece go through the lessons here. She likes the 'music reward' at the end of lessons and the funny voices. I was shocked that she had not done a typing class in school yet. I think they should teach that in kindergarden LOL