The home row is the middle row of letters. It is where your fingers rest between keystrokes, and the starting point of every movement.
- Little finger
- Ring finger
- Middle finger
- Index finger
- Thumb
Where each finger goes
- Left hand: little finger on A, ring finger on S, middle finger on D, index on F.
- Right hand: index on J, middle finger on K, ring finger on L, little finger on the semicolon key.
- Thumbs: on the space bar, usually the thumb of the hand that did not type the previous letter.
Your turn! Type the line below: a wrong key stops you until it's right.
Click here and type the words: the keyboard shows each key.
On a French AZERTY keyboard, the left little finger rests on Q and the right one on M; everything else stays the same.
The bumps on F and J
Can you feel the small ridges on F and J? They are there so you can find the home row without looking. Whenever you lose your place, touch them and start again.
Each finger owns a column
From its home key, each finger also types the keys above and below it, slightly to the left. The index fingers do the most work: the left one also takes G, T and B, the right one H, Y and N.
Keep it relaxed
Curve your fingers slightly, keep your wrists straight and floating, and strike the keys lightly. Tension slows you down and tires your hands.