Learn proper typing w/o slowing down my speed (2 finger typer)

I think my speed is 10 wpm and muchos boo boos. But I like that Typing Club. Nice and, forgive the inadvertent pun, low key! Oh boy do I ever look at the keys! I mean, when I am not starting to practice!

We ought to meet at intervals and discuss what, if any, and actually the EXTENT of our improvement.

1 Like

I learnt by concentrating on not looking at the keyboard. I started with my name over and over, then short sentences that I had thought of just before typing (not whilst typing) - for example - “I am going to the shop today”. I’d do it over and over until I made less mistakes. Then I’d transcribe the book I was reading - just the odd page here and there so I could practice reading and typing at the same time.

This was all pre-smartphone, but I’ll say I touch typed on a dumb Nokia (before predictive text) before I touch typed a QWERTY keyboard (remember typing as 222,44,777,4444,7777??).

I’m sure there are apps around that help improve speed and accuracy that have a bit more science that I had, but it all boils down to committing and doing it consistently and often.

But first I have to have some guidance placing those fingers where they belong. You do have some terrific ideas though.

There are keyboard layouts for one-handed typing, including Dvorak. This might be a good starting point:

Learn to type your name whilst looking over and over, trying to get gradually faster. After a while you’ll find you can do it looking at the keyboard generally but not at every letter. Once you get good at that, try doing it looking at the screen and glancing if you forget. Depending on where you’re at, getting to the point where you’re not circling a finger looking for a letter, or knowing whether it is right finger or left finger is good progress.

All very unscientific but it’s how I learnt and I touch type as fast as my fingers will let me now!

Funny thought - we all still type with just two digits, it just happens to be with our thumbs on a tiny keyboard :smiley:

I learnt to ‘touch type’ in my late fifties. I now type very fast indeed compared to decades of two finger pecking and looking at the keyboard. However there is no way it can be done without some friction at first. Not as far as I know, you also have to have a lot of self discipline during the slow stage.
I was fortunate to be in a window without much to do at the time I suppose? I used the Mavis Beacon chart, not even the courses, just an old chart that had been used on training typewriters. I do look at the keyboard for numbers and the modifier keys though apart from Shift. Go figure, I should train myself out of that I guess.

1 Like

That is absolutely amazing! Thanks!

1 Like

For those of you learning touch typing whose hands also get cold, there’s also this method.:wink:

8 Likes

When I was learning to touch type several years ago, I played this game a lot: Epistory - Typing Chronicles - Wikipedia

I’m not sure if it works on M1 Macs.

Yeah, I have really reduced my use of the iPhone as a consequence of the two thumbs limitation: iPads too really. Mostly way too slow for me now. I tried dictation but beyond simple messages I found it cumbersome, full of errors and atually quite slow. Predictie the same.
I do sometimes use the copy and paste function to put things into Ulysses which I have on the phone as well as my Macbook Pro.

I couldn’t get it to work. That’s ok.

See? This is what I dislike about the community. I’m in my late fifties so now I have no excuses!! Thanks @TudorEynon :wink:

(Completely tongue in cheek, folks)

7 Likes

I was in the same position as OP 2 years ago. I was typing with 2 fingers and reaching 60 WPM on average.

I started learning on typing.com and in the starting I slowed down to 20-25WPM but it took me less than 3 weeks (30m everyday) to reach 60 WPM on touch typing.

I’m still around 60-70 WPM but I absolutely love typing. Using all fingers stimulates the brain and it feels like a relaxing meditation. I find reasons to type everyday now.

4 Likes

Good point, it makes it a lot easier, even if you don’t get faster you don’t have to look at the keys all the time and that is very useful.

2 Likes