Question for typists

[dinahsmum]

I've never had to type in my working life, so never learnt keyboard skills. In fact I never really used a keyboard at all until about 5 years ago. I used to be a 2 finger typist, then I got a 'teach-yourself' CD and tried to improve but I got fed up with the bossy woman who constanly rebuked me for my left little finger not pressing hard enough to make 'a's. But I digress.
I'm quite a bit quicker than I usd to be and I use about 5 or 6 fingers. Recently, my speed has increased again but I have developed a recurrent error. Words with ere keep coming out as wheer, heer, theer, so I waste time going back to correct. So - any tips on how to rectify? I'm obviously doing e with my left hand and r with my right hand and not synchronising properly.

[yola]

I'm a self-taught typist too, but only coz my Mum was learning years ago (on a proper typewriter), and I sneaked a go with her pitman books.

Essentially, the 'e' and the 'r' should both be typed with the left hand. E with middle finger and R with index finger.

Always keep your fingers on (left hand) a,s,d and f and j,k,l,and ; (right hand) as a base and then the fingers will naturally drop onto the right keys . . . well I say that, but it does take a bit of persistence!

Hope that helps - now go and practice!!

[dinahsmum]

Thanks Yola!
I may just try to slow down; I think life may be too short for me to try to type properly .......... in the meantime, excuse my heers

[Carole]

Originally Posted by yola

Always keep your fingers on (left hand) a,s,d and f and j,k,l,and ; (right hand) as a base and then the fingers will naturally drop onto the right keys . . . well I say that, but it does take a bit of persistence!

That is how I was taught at school I remember all the boring exercises like rows and rows of aqa aza etc til you had covered the whole keyboard.

[dandysmom]

I'm no help; I'm a hunt and peck typist (fast, though!) Never took typing in school; I've just learned to live with typos....thank God for Preview!!

[Kim]

DM, part of my job in school is Word Processing, but I am self taught too. All I can say is thank goodness for the spellchecker ad I seem to become dyslexic when it comes to typing!

[angieh]

I was taught to touch type in my teens and it's so strange - I don't really think about what I am doing at all, I always look straight at the screen! It's a bit like trying to describe HOW you tie your shoe laces......... one hint though, Dinahsmum - keep you finger nails quite short - if I don't I get all sorts of strange letters coming up!

[yola]

Ah yes, the nails Mine are quite long and my fingers do slip around a bit. I'm always amazed at how much more dextrous and accurate my typing becomes when I cut them

[Grete]

Hehe I trained as a secretary after I left school so I did the whole touch-typing thing. I still type properly even now although I do all the common mistakes, am just very fast on the backspace key It is actually easier to spot mistakes when you don't have to switch focus constantly between keyboard and screen.

We were taught the way that has been mentioned already - the position of your fingers on certain keys, then you move around from there - over and over and over until it becomes second nature.

I agree on the nail thing too I have to keep mine short or all sorts of bizarre things come up

[Jac]

Hehe I was taught to type at school on the "old" typewriters. We used to get our knuckles wrapped with a ruler for looking at the keys . Ohhh the memories are flooding back