• First, start with your left hand. Rest your last finger on the ‘A' key, ring finger on ‘S', middle finger on ‘D' and forefinger on ‘F'. Now your right hand. Rest your last finger on the ‘:' key, ring finger on ‘L', middle finger on ‘K' and forefinger on ‘J'. ‘G' is pressed by extending the forefinger of your left hand, and ‘H' is pressed by extending the forefinger of your right hand. Rest your thumbs on the space bar. This is the default position of your fingers on the keyboard.
• Begin by typing these alphabets. Initially, you will have to look at the keyboard to see where the alphabets are, but practicing the same keys again and again will make you remember which key has which alphabet.
• Then, use the same finger position on the upper row and the lower row of the keyboard. Your left hand starting from ‘Q' to ‘T' key, and your right hand from ‘P' to ‘Y' key in the upper row. In the lower row, your left hand starting from ‘Z' to ‘V' and right hand from / to ‘N' key. ‘B' can be pressed by the forefinger of either hand, whichever you feel is comfortable, or get used to.
• Once you have learnt the alphabet keys, try practising the number keys and punctuation keys. Some punctuation marks use ‘Shift key'. ‘Shift key' is also pressed if you want to type a capital letter. There are two ‘shift keys' on the keyboard. If you want to press an alphabet key or a punctuation key on the left hand, then press the ‘shift key' on the right hand. Don't press the ‘shift key' and the alphabet key with one hand.
• Once you know where all the characters are on the keyboard, take a book or a magazine and try to type the matter. Practice daily.
Once you have practiced enough, and you can say that now you know how to type , then here are some tips that will help you increase your typing speed:
• Don't use force while tapping the keys. Just touch the key and come to your default position. Don't bang the keyboard.
• You must try to type fast, but don't rush through the keyboard. Rushing may lead to mistakes.
• If there is pain in your wrists and fingers after typing a long letter, then the position of your keyboard is not proper. Your wrists, elbows and the keyboard should be at a 90° angle to your upper arms.
• Do not set your monitor too high or too low. The top of your screen should be at your eye level.
• Sit upright.
Traditionally, typing was restricted to women seeking occupations like data entry operators or writers. But as use of computers is increasing, typing is helpful to almost every one of us. Whether you want to search useful information online or write an email to a family member or a friend, or any professional letter, or if you are chatting on the net, you are at an advantage if you know how to type . Typing gives you the same writing speed as you read or think.
If you know how to type , then you can do your work very fast, without searching for the keys on the keyboard. Computers and keyboards are an integral part of one's life right from early education. But very few people give importance to typing. If you are starting to learn how to type , then here are some initial typing tips for you: