Keyboard - lesson 2
The third row of the keyboard is a celebrity in our midst. The Q-W-E-R-T-Y row.
The keys of early typewriters were, sensibly enough, laid out in alphabetical order. The impetus for change was not exactly the yearning for blistering speed that has brought us together here today, but rather necessity. Early typewriters were mechanical and prone to jamming. The QWERTY layout solved that problem by spreading the popular keys across the board, inadvertently creating an ideal layout for distributing the effort of typing to all ten fingers rather than the traditional hunt and peck method. Progress and fate hand in hand once more.
- The left index finger will control theR and T keys, the right index finger will control the Y and Ukeys.
- The left middle finger will control theE key, the right middle finger will control the I key.
- The left ring finger will control theW key, the right ring finger will control the O key.
- The left little finger will control theQ key, the right little finger will control the P key.
| LEFT HAND | RIGHT HAND | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LF | RF | MF | IF | IF | IF | IF | MF | RF | LF |
| Q | W | E | R | T | Y | U | I | O | P |
| A | S | D | F | G | H | J | K | L | ; |
In our last lesson we learned the locations of the home row keys, enough in themselves to allow us to type some words without looking at the keyboard already.
The QWERTY row, as well as being the most celebrated on the keyboard is also the hardest working. Four of the five vowels,E-I-O-U are to be found in this row. After completing the second lesson you should discover that you are already well on the way to being a touch typist and your fingers are becoming ever more adept at finding the right key without your conscious thought.
Before you begin typing make sure you are sitting up straight, your feet flat on the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body, your wrists straight and your forearms level.
As before, you may find it helpful to quietly say the name of the key as you strike it. Don't let your mistakes cause you to lose heart, touch-typing is a skill that can be learned by practice.
Repeat each exercise at least three times, and remember - take regular breaks.