Best way of learning or training touch typing?

bugfix · 31 Jan 2011, 20:35

Actually I'm typing this with all ten (actually nine) fingers, so I basically know which finger to use for which letter.

My problem is that I can only type fairly slowly this way and also mix up letters once in a while, especially I mix up ring and middle finger.

I know that practice is probably the only way of learning this, but perhaps ypu know any super secret tricks that would make thid easier for me...?

sixty · 31 Jan 2011, 20:39

http://www.typingweb.com/tutor/

Give this is a try. Its an awesome website and well designed. It really has everything you should need. After a few days of using it, it will analyze your errors and generate training programs designed around your errors. Its quite awesome.

Minskleip · 31 Jan 2011, 20:44

I learned to touch type with speed tests so I could get the Das Keyboard II hehe. It worked very well going from "Skleip Touch" to proper typing this way. A disiplined mind does not need blank keys to learn touch.

bugfix · 31 Jan 2011, 20:47

That link sixty posted is quite nice, thank you for that!

lootbag · 31 Jan 2011, 23:09

the link looks interesting... maybe I can finally learn touch typing after all these years.
I never took those typing exercises to heart in grade school.
I want to have blank keycaps on my boards and actually be able to use it!

Mrinterface · 01 Feb 2011, 16:45

An all blank keycaps keyboard will teach you to properly touch type since there is no use looking at the keyboard when typing. However : the main problems with otaku ( blank ) keyboards is that all special characters ( and function keys ) are a bitch to remember. That's the main reason I don't use blank keyboards.

Regards.

sixty · 01 Feb 2011, 16:45

can always keep your special char row in normal keys.. thats what I did for a while.

webwit · 01 Feb 2011, 18:40

Mrinterface wrote:However : the main problems with otaku ( blank ) keyboards is that all special characters ( and function keys ) are a bitch to remember. That's the main reason I don't use blank keyboards.

My stance on this as usual is that if you can't remember the special characters, you should be using a blank keyboard

daedalus · 03 Feb 2011, 02:34

I blame my touch typing ability on spending too much time on MSN messenger when I was 15.... This does raise a point though - the best way to learn to type is probably just to keep typing. I don't think I ever really formally sat down and learned a method of typing, it just came naturally - and I can do well over 100WPM sometimes.

sixty · 03 Feb 2011, 08:08

daedalus wrote:I blame my touch typing ability on spending too much time on MSN messenger when I was 15.... This does raise a point though - the best way to learn to type is probably just to keep typing. I don't think I ever really formally sat down and learned a method of typing, it just came naturally - and I can do well over 100WPM sometimes.

Same here. My typing drastically improved when I got on IRC so many years ago. Just like with languages, its much easier to learn it by just doing it.

itlnstln · 03 Feb 2011, 20:14

Blank keys will teach you touch typing faster than anything. It took about a week of typing on blank caps to break me of some bad habits a year or so ago.

nanu · 05 Feb 2011, 20:52

I signed up on the typingweb tutor and first lesson I tried was Numbers and then it made me aware that I'm supposed to be typing '1' with my pinky finger. Yeah 10 years of using my ring finger isn't going to stop now (I already touch type, just in my own way).

sixty · 06 Feb 2011, 20:29

Yes, the idea when I signed up there was to learn how to 10-finger type properly instead of my hybrid 4~10 fingers way. Gave up though. Can't teach an old dog new tricks? Or something. I reach 120ish wpm with this terrible way, doubt I would improve much, besides on the level of comfort. But then again, us humans adjust to almost anything. In the end its all good.

Crazy9000 · 09 Feb 2011, 04:11

I'd ignore things like using pinky over ring finger... it's not really going to make a difference in the end.

I took a terrible typing class in highschool that got me enough of a base to continue on my own. I didn't learn the symbols until I got blank keyboards. I just kept guessing where the symbol was, taking 5 tries to get it until I started to learn them.

Same with the [-=()]brackets and such.

ynih · 09 Feb 2011, 08:24

I don't support the blank or "Otaku" methods of touch typing...I feel like that's just there as a kind of "showing off". When I type, I never look at my key legends, but when I need them, they are clearly visible. I stare at the screen 99% of the time. This makes me type the brackets easily, and the special characters on the top row 1~0 easier.

I also don't touch type with all 9 or 10 fingers. I use maybe 7.

webwit · 09 Feb 2011, 11:47

I can't play the piano, but just like to note it feels like piano players are just showing off by playing the piano with no notes printed on the keys.

Minskleip · 09 Feb 2011, 13:23

I know where most of the symbols are, but I don't know where the numbers are! To type lots of numbers with blank keys I need to use the number row as home. Can't wait to get a board with grid layout

instantkamera · 09 Feb 2011, 13:26

webwit wrote:I can't play the piano, but just like to note it feels like piano players are just showing off by playing the piano with no notes printed on the keys.

bam.

I do support the blank keycaps method. It will either work or it wont. Whether or not other people think it is showing off or not shouldn't really matter. My only other advice along with that would be to use an autologin, typing those passwords blind and constantly having logins rejected will only frustrate you

I have been using the realforce black/grey, those legends are practically useless in all but the most well lit situations.

itlnstln · 09 Feb 2011, 14:00

instantkamera wrote:I have been using the realforce black/grey, those legends are practically useless in all but the most well lit situations.

I like that a lot about the Realforce 'boards. For all intents and purposes, it works just like a blank 'board. When I absolutely need the legends, though, at least I have something.

ynih · 09 Feb 2011, 16:50

itlnstln wrote:
instantkamera wrote:I have been using the realforce black/grey, those legends are practically useless in all but the most well lit situations.
I like that a lot about the Realforce 'boards. For all intents and purposes, it works just like a blank 'board. When I absolutely need the legends, though, at least I have something.

Seconded.

itlnstln · 09 Feb 2011, 17:06

Thirded.

(You know, to get closer to the 1500th post.)

RiGS · 31 Mar 2011, 23:21

I keep hitting the R and U with my middle finger instead of my index finger.
Pressing those keys with the index finger seems counterintuitive for me, especially in situations where H is followed by U(human, humour).
Also using my index finger for hitting those keys force my wrist into an ulnar-deviated position which leads to wrist pain.

Daniel Beaver · 01 Apr 2011, 17:06

I usually recommend The Typing of the Dead.

Grond · 06 Nov 2011, 18:49

I'm also trying Typingweb, but it's very frustrating! I have a decent speed with my own style, but with the proper style I'm as slow as if it was the first time I've ever seen a keyboard!

Markybhoy · 01 Dec 2011, 00:15

I've been using this site -

http://www.typingstudy.com/

The typingweb site looks interesting, will check that out to.

wspr · 01 Dec 2011, 06:00

I used to type pretty fast, but with eight fingers and a horrible style where i moved my hands around a lot.
I discovered touch typing this summer and decided to switch right away. At first it was a nightmare because i decided that every single time i made a mistake i had to retype the whole sentence. Took a couple of weeks before i got up to 55-60 wpm, this is where it became natural and my speed started to increase rapidly. Now i'm just as fast as before but i'm not waving my hands around like an idiot

Never used any applications or websites, just looked at one of those touch typing pictures, it's all about discipline as Minskleip pointed out

sam113101 · 05 Dec 2011, 20:33

Learn a new layout, like dvorak, and learn it the good way.
That's what I did.