Piano Guidance
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Do you use pinky when typing?

Shift. If you want to type a capital letter, if the letter you wish to capitalize is being typed by the left hand, use the right-hand pinky to hold down the Shift key; otherwise, use the left-hand pinky to hold down the other Shift key.

ece.uwaterloo.ca - Touch typing | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Touch typing is a very important skill you must develop if you want to become an efficient programmer. In touch typing, you can easily reach speeds of typing in excess of 300 characters per minute and you can leave your focus on the screen, as opposed to playing hunt-and-peck. This tutorial will teach you step-by-step as to how to touch type. First, open your favour editor or word processor. Quick review: we will refer to the fingers of the hand starting with the thumb as the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the pinky.

Letters

We will introduce the home row and then one letter at a time. In all cases, you should try to avoid looking at the keyboard.

The left hand: A S D F

Place your left hand on the keys A, S, D and F and gently rest your four fingers on these keys. You should only ever press the A with your pinky finger, the S with your ring finger, etc. Your thumb should hover in the air, as it will only be used for striking the Spacebar. Now practice typing the following words that use only the four letters and the Spacebar.

a aa sass as ad add sad dad daff fa fad

Practice typing these words in any order you wish, but try to do so without looking down at your hands. You may be tempted to type, for example, add with only one finger or perhaps with the middle finger and then the index finger, but resist this temptation.

R

We will carry on by adding one more character to the left hand: R. You will press R by using the index finger of the left hand but once you have done so, you should bring your finger back to rest over the F.

Now practice typing the following words:

afar arras far farad rad radar raff sard sassafras

Again, try not to look down at they keyboard.

The right hand: J K L

Place your right hand on the keys J, K, L and ; and rest your four fingers on these keys. Your thumb should hover in the air, as it too will only be used for striking the Spacebar. all ask fall salad alaska dallas kafka la alas alfalfa fad flask la lad lass The following words include the letter r as well as those letters from the right hand's home row:

dark jar ajar alar arak ark lard lark

Shift

If you want to type a capital letter, if the letter you wish to capitalize is being typed by the left hand, use the right-hand pinky to hold down the Shift key; otherwise, use the left-hand pinky to hold down the other Shift key.

E

Now, use the left middle finger to type the letter e . You can practice this using the following list of words that uses those letters we have already seen together with the letter e . The first list of words always contains all or most of the letters you have already seen. are see lead feel jade seek area real read else sell leader free less federal red deal fear sea address safe release refer sales reader feed ear dress leaf desk fee rare era seed assess self lake sale false dealer fade deer flee ease sake dear dare laser seal rear elder ladder added fare seller adder addressee ale allele arrears dale dead deadfall deaf deed defer deferral deferred dell drake dread dresser earl easel eel elf elk erase eraser err fadeless fake faker feal fearless fed feeder felafel fell feral flake flare flea fled freak jaded jerk kale keel ladle larder leak lease led leek lesser raddle raddled raffle rake redress reed reef reek reel referee resale saddle seafarer sealed sealer seeker selfless sled sleek

N

and send defense jeans knee learn need end sense land near fan earn lean defend sand rank darkness naked snake render lens lend arena endless needle ankle lane sneak defender dense kneel an arsenal dank deaden deafen dean den drank endear ensnare errand fallen fanfare fender fennel fern flank flannel frank jane keen kennel kernel knead kraken laden landed landfall lands learned lessen nasal needless needs ran redness sadden sadness sandal sander sane sank sarsen seen selfness sender senseless serenade serene snare snarl sneaker sneakers sneer

T

The letter t is also pressed with the left index finger.

at last stand after take jet tell state let talk start set later least art late rate star eat street data test tree letter rest enter east left staff trade standard ten seat treat tend task relate fast stare attend date settle eastern tall salt fat trend stress estate steal tank tear talent taste asset arrest steel tea desert tale transfer flat stake teen draft latter translate net alter fate tent assert defeat defendant related rent rat starter tender talented nest dessert fleet streak faster steer steak neat rental retreat fatal aftertaste alert alternate ant anteater antenna antler ardent asserted assets ate atlas attendant attest attested daft dart dated dealt deflate delete delta dent dental deserted deter deterrent detest earnest eaten eats elated eldest entrant errata eternal falter

H

The letter h is pressed with the right index finger.

that she hand father thank health the her there than then these here three hear head death hard heart half share herself rather shake heat ahead threat fresh handle threaten hell hate theater athlete thanks earth sheet hall hat shall shell shelter leather shelf shade heel flesh ah harsh flash hers shared sheer shed heal trash shark feather ash thread

I

The letter i is pressed with the right middle finger.

idea this find jail think their in it his if like its first life still like different side kind little friend sit line kid air die interest kill raise field site hit itself either third hair listen risk fire fill fine series rise artist lie list disease fail skill sister indeed entire final trial finish fish inside instead detail skin dinner like strike nine define drink resident hide interested ride title faith lift fit insist affair afraid fair hire tie island train intend rain desire thin aid trail shift internal link file shirt neither relief aside stir dish initial essential tired hill hi sir airline diet silent slide knife intense retire kiss illness disaster inner resist assist fifth install arise killer distant satellite assistant retain elite dirt sink ideal tire stair ill tail differ

O

The letter o is pressed with the right ring finger.

also so do of join look for one to other into on not or no those too another old off hold national lot often lose others door reason food offer foot nation role effort son road international season oil north attention soon short floor order store note hot shoot loss ok sort station radio traditional onto hotel soldier total shot nor none front senior alone forest relation therefore afternoon hole stone tradition roll horse tool additional lesson folk soft editor shoe session lots northern nod loan notion root nose soil forth host afford tooth hero fashion tone solid noise addition honor definition roof tension error transition joint hello joke online iron disorder toss throat intention honest historian restore onion lost resort terror odd solar senator offense terrorist loose load ratio stroke float

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M

The letter m is also pressed with the right index finger.

make some mind from major market small them time me him more man most mean same seem million home room mother month meet almost name team information moment himself someone remain former sometimes arm model form matter film term administration material similar animal treatment media determine miss main firm statement maintain mention middle dream method item modern smile admit mission reform freedom element normal farm middle terms demand limit demonstrate female mistake remind moral familiar male assessment metal mental farmer mom married emotional theme storm mark meal meat estimate manner motion frame eliminate mirror smart master minister aim limited mass milk emotion settlement inform immediate transform formal stream mine dominate maker mood monitor entertainment missile smell tomato smoke dimension smooth

U

The letter u is pressed with the right index finger.

around just should four unlike must out our use us student turn run under issue house until hour minute understand sure result human return true full situation summer hundred rule south thousand future author nature sound natural thus fund serious amount outside truth measure unit adult shoulder institution stuff mouth assume suffer southern restaurant hurt attitude feature status solution sun mountain refuse unless failure annual murder suit tour famous studio shut literature fuel fourth surround soul instrument union fruit museum ensure due user used trust nurse fun industrial route rush resolution household enormous rural useful unusual journalist shout foundation dust numerous adjust fundamental illustrate usual round tourist junior assure routine ultimate found furniture tissue fortune

C

The letter c is pressed with the left middle finger.

can school could fact justice stock car come child call much such case each since include continue once social face create office research teacher force education across second music consider cut course reach local effect class control care economic decide decision difference action director record official center court teach cost clear recent doctor certain catch source choose cause difficult culture chance condition choice medical church close current increase officer focus color reduce common race concern factor decade article scene career central occur resource success indicate character attack election section financial crime act discuss democratic check rock claim cold science card cell nice direction cultural contain chair camera structure candidate affect conference reflect surface machine commercial cancer coach discussion notice collection kitchen consumer

Y

The letter y is also (like u ) pressed with the right index finger. say day family enjoy likely year they your country my many only any may try really system today money story study eye yes yet city community already history early actually stay yeah finally military carry society easy industry nearly century economy anyone security myself certainly recently usually ready identify lay analysis authority clearly memory yourself theory fly suddenly style necessary reality yard attorney majority key safety directly immediately sky sorry easily facility tiny identity mostly marry cry youth deny destroy hey healthy daily fully democracy yesterday lady army injury dry enemy carefully minority okay jury analyst county difficulty anymore currently truly hardly duty ultimately funny entirely rely seriously totally necessarily holiday faculty merely definitely secretary unfortunately closely

W

The letter w is pressed with the left ring finger.

what show would few jaw know work with woman which way we who will when now how two want new well down world own while why where week always without water write word away law white whether watch follow allow war within walk low win toward wait wife whole town wear whose wall worker news draw window west throw answer wonder forward lawyer network wide worry writer whom owner wish western wind weekend slowly wood winter crowd wild tomorrow worth warm anyway wonderful twice aware wine flower otherwise welcome sweet software somewhere weather works somehow yellow shadow crew slow wake warn snow row meanwhile anywhere somewhat winner welfare fewer witness flow waste wheel towards narrow lower weak twenty wash widely elsewhere wire twin tower fellow wet wooden wealth award switch lawsuit whereas raw awareness withdraw newly

G

The letter g is pressed with the left index finger.

great something good figure judge knowledge change young go get thing through high might against again right during night large right though long game among nothing ago together anything grow morning girl guy enough although age including college suggest along strong drug light according agree ground image technology energy single daughter wrong fight goal foreign agency significant language eight dog sign thought meeting argue growth degree region training general feeling message glass stage design gun strategy song leg laugh guess hang forget manager legal religious green management imagine tonight huge charge manage weight range edge throughout challenge marriage tough sing agent gas generation finger garden agreement interesting original encourage argument generally gain gold willing strength target guard flight

P

The letter p is pressed with the right pinky.

part president performance project keep people help up company power group put place program play point happen important political pay parent stop speak spend person party open policy process appear plan perhaps pass report police pull price hope relationship position player especially pick paper special space support couple produce phone picture practice piece product patient personal simply step computer type period plant opportunity campaign population hospital sport per top past represent drop upon push page poor response despite happy protect approach simple pressure accept prepare cup particularly pretty physical present professor operation compare spring impact respond popular weapon employee peace pain apply particular politics perform production trip deep specific property purpose pattern partner painting capital newspaper professional speech option participant opinion troop species plane concept

B

The letter b is pressed with the left index finger.

about because bad before job back problem between both big by be but become begin number bring book business black member best body public remember boy maybe able buy probably build behind better possible break building base table describe baby billion brother husband bank board subject bed blood beyond ability bill benefit blue establish ball bit trouble bar beautiful somebody bag beat budget responsibility debate born global publish bird neighborhood basic absolutely nobody object labor brain possibility battle beginning boat club band basis bright contribute block border responsible baseball belief anybody background broad blow burn neighbor bone combine below bus grab birth bottom football abuse climb urban obtain impossible bear breath balance belong breast being bridge basically possibly comfortable beauty bottle brown contribution blame basketball branch combination bowl bedroom debt bond

V

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The letter v is also (like b )pressed with the left index finger. have service provide five objective overlook even however government value very give over never leave every move live believe ever several level everything love serve development themselves voice develop view drive receive event everyone activity cover movie evidence available involve private behavior movement save seven individual whatever television everybody arrive environmental environment various prove remove above visit avoid reveal interview discover evening improve heavy violence investment positive civil victim vote travel prevent eventually video version effective achieve conversation variety involved investigation vision university driver survey village previous obviously deliver vehicle observe average advantage river living survive review wave native perspective active voter relatively victory

X

The letter x is pressed with the left ring finger.

explain six extend fix juxtapose textbook experience exchange example exactly wax executive next expect tax box sex expert sexual exist examine express text context exercise expression extra expand explore complex expensive extremely extent mix except expectation experiment expose explanation excellent expense existing existence exposure approximately exception mixture anxiety exhibition extreme index extraordinary expansion extensive relax external exciting galaxy explosion examination explode taxpayer extension exceed exhibit exact excited export experimental exclude excuse excitement sixth unexpected maximum execute exclusive complexity exit anxious oxygen exploration expertise sexually extended toxic mixed exotic exam flexible execution sexy expected flexibility fixed experienced exploit texture exclusively excessive expedition exhaust

Q

The letter q is pressed with the left pinky.

quality question headquarters frequently quillaja quickly equipment skwawk torquing subsequent equivalent equinox require quite quick technique quarter quiet consequence unique equal requirement acquire request quote equally quit quietly square frequency qualify sequence frequent adequate quarterback inquiry questionnaire acquisition equity equation quantity quest queen equip earthquake liquid consequently required equality squad

Z

The letter z is pressed with the left pinky.

organization size dozen freeze jazz klutz emphasize recognize crazy wizard breeze civilization oxidize squeeze realize magazine citizen organize zone amazing analyze criticize characterize horizon seize gaze prize apologize frozen pizza minimize specialize puzzle utilize organizational authorize citizenship hazard organized bronze

Numbers

With the exception of the left index finger, which is used to press 4, 5 and 6, all other fingers press the respective number. 86943 22090 75326 93425 48199 84836 65136 58146 39153 59129 98349 93132 42810 47977 00562 61667 39949 83931 40040 84557 88859 18217 79131 81960 28058 82337 27260 41669 77720 55874 82607 85618 90591 93217 33209 31878 46773 19346 58127 17359 97374 12225 99836 95084 19953 42886 79777 35905 72681 82073 42287 47745 53113 84808 82060 31686 79518 12204 82640 43094 13940 30662 35582 74240 61022 70698 25227 24733 88228 29974 70792 56971 46346 89636 75443 16551 53278 28284 31279 83035 36052 81445 33706 72898 53688 96573

Other characters

The C++ programming language uses essentially all of the symbols on the keyboard. At this point, we will introduce one character at a time staring with the semicolon ; :

int opening; double velocity; long registers; short variable;

The underscore _ is pressed by the right pinky.

int iteration_count; double up_time; long content_list; short temp_datum;

The double quote " is pressed by the right pinky, as well:

"Douglas Harder" "Fundamentals of programming" "Algorithms and data structures" "Operating systems"

The period . is pressed by the right ring finger.

9357.238; 0.9614; 56470.281;

The opening and closing parentheses ( and ) are pressed by the right ring finger and pinky, respectively.

is_prime( 3206 ); sin( 4.15 ); acsc( 9.87 );

The comma , is pressed by the right index finger:

gcd( 32, 59 ); lcm( 41, 87, 50 ); display( "Some text", 5, 4, "Name" );

The plus symbol + is pressed by the right pinky:

5 + 7; 39 + 16; 9.342 + 44.6 + 18.5; ++i; j++;

The minus sign - is pressed by the right pinky, as well:

4 - 2; 80 - 51; 92.3 - 23.5 - 0.05; --k; m--;

The asterisks * is pressed by the right middle finger:

8*9; 72*41; 92.3*5.17*4.02; int *p;

The slash / is pressed by the right pinky:

7/3; 59*32; 32.8/5.47/1.096; // This is a comment

The equals sign = is pressed by the right pinky, as well:

32 == a; right = 54; left = 1.937;

The less than and greater than symbols < and > are pressed by the right index and ring fingers, respectively:

a < 723; var >= 3.532; cout << "Hello world!";

The opening and closing braces { and } are also pressed by the right pinky, while the Tab key is pressed by the left pinky: int sign( int x ) { if ( x == 0 ) { return 0; } else { return 1; } } double abs( double x ) { if ( x < 0 ) { return -x; } else { return x; } }

The pipe | is pressed by the right pinky:

if ( (a == b) || (c == 5.2) ) { w |= 1; }

The ampersand & is pressed by the right index finger:

if ( (p < q) && (w => 7.3) ) { u &= 1; }

The pound symbol # is pressed by the left middle finger:

#include #include #include "Single_list.h"

The square brackets [ and ] are pressed by the right pinky finger: my_array[0] = 3; for ( int k{1}; k < 10; ++k ) { my_array[k] = 0; } The question mark ? and the colon : are also pressed by the right pinky: return (a == b) ? 1 : 0; my_var = (local_var < 0) ? -local_var : local_var; A single quote (or apostrophe) ' is pressed by the right pinky, as well: array[3] = 'c'; if ( array[k] == '\0' ) { std::cout << 'h' << std::endl; }

Acknowledgements

Prof. Dietl for pointing out a number of typos.

ece.uwaterloo.ca - Touch typing | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
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