Typing training. An easy way to learn blind ten-finger typing

How to quickly learn touch typing with all 10 fingers? Overview of programs and online keyboard simulators for teaching the blind and fast ten-finger method printing (typing).

There are even specialized courses for this purpose, and in the West this is one of the subjects in general education schools.

The main advantages of the blind typing method:

1. When typing with all fingers, the number of errors is reduced.

2. All fingers are occupied, and each of them corresponds to a certain number of letters.

3. The work becomes completely mechanical - the desired letter is unmistakably struck by the finger with which it is learned to hit it.

4. By mastering the blind ten-finger method and putting it into practice, people will save their health. They will not have to look from the keyboard to the monitor and back dozens of times, their eyes will not get tired, their vision will not deteriorate. Learners will become less tired during the working day, as a result of which they will perform more work.

5. Using the ten-finger blind method, anyone can achieve a typing speed of 300-500 characters per minute. If we take into account the work team, where all the people in it have mastered the blind ten-finger method, then they work 10% - 15% more efficiently. All letters, texts, balance sheets, reports, notes, documents are processed faster, better and more accurately.

6. When typing blindly, attention is not focused on the fact of typing, but only on how to express your thoughts (suggestions, conclusions, recommendations, conclusions) in the best possible way.

How to learn?

There are many resources, and the touch typing courses already mentioned, and online classes, and special programs. We will not stop at the courses, but we will consider programs and online simulators.

Programs

In general, most of these programs are based on a similar methodology. First, the “student” studies the middle row of the keyboard - this is FYVAPROLJE, trying to learn how to type certain letters with the corresponding fingers. Here, as practice shows, the most difficult thing is to “stir up” the ring finger and, especially, the little finger. After mastering the middle row, the upper and lower rows are added. Learning can be accompanied by irritation due to the fact that the fingers are pressing the wrong keys, that there are many mistakes, etc. - it cannot be avoided. But you don’t need to be very upset either - this is a fairly serious skill, and in order to acquire it, you need to work hard, don’t expect an easy “victory”.

SOLO on the keyboard

The most famous program in Runet for mastering the blind ten-finger typing method is SOLO on the keyboard. I will dwell on this keyboard simulator in more detail, since this is not just a program, but an advanced training course. In addition to simply typing certain letters in SOLO, the keyboard contains detailed instructions, tips and many other materials to help you cope with the annoyance of mistakes, and help you not to stop halfway.

The entire course consists of 100 exercises. After passing all 100, you are guaranteed to be typing with all 10 fingers, regardless of the keyboard - verified. Each exercise contains up to 6-7 tasks. In addition, after many exercises, you will need to repeat one of the previous ones. At the beginning of each exercise, there are anecdotes from the creators of the program, which are sure to cheer you up and help you relax a bit. There are also numerous letters from people who have already gone through SOLO, in which they describe the problems they faced and what was the most difficult for them. In them you will find something of your own, and this will help you overcome difficulties. After completing the task, you will be graded on a 5-point scale.

Stamina (Recommended)

This is a free typing trainer with a simple yet "fun" interface. The author of this program is not without a sense of humor and did not hesitate to express it in the program interface. Training is based on step-by-step execution of tasks with increasing complexity. For example, in the first task, you will need to type the letters A and O in different combinations, then B and L are added, and so on. Tasks are performed to pleasant music. Also, various events in the program are accompanied by cool sounds, for example, when the program closes, Arnold Schwarzenegger's phrase “I`ll be back” sounds. The program also has an entertaining toy, which, however, does not apply to learning, but you can play.

Rapid Typing

A free application from Western developers that supports learning in Russian and English layouts. It has an attractive, friendly interface. Class statistics are kept, which helps to navigate the learning process. Below, as usual, shows the layout of the keyboard.

VerseQ

Not quite a standard keyboard trainer. The authors of the program talk about the extraordinary effectiveness of their method of mastering the blind typing method. Their website claims that after 5-15 hours of practice, you will be able to type blindly at a speed of 200-350 characters per minute. The technique is really different from the standard. Here you are immediately invited to type text consisting of letters in all rows of the keyboard. At the same time, the proposed strings for dialing are generated by a special algorithm that generates phonetic associated sequences of characters.

However, I think that this approach will be very difficult for beginners. Explanations on how to hold hands, which fingers to press, etc. are in the help of the program, and are described quite clearly, but it is not easy to switch from two-finger “poking” into the keyboard to typing with all 10 fingers. At the same time, it is very difficult to study which finger is responsible for what, looking only at the keyboard model. I think there is a high probability that the student will simply abandon this business until better times.

Speed ​​Printing School

This keyboard trainer is designed for those who want to learn touch typing on the keyboard. The simulator has various interesting sections:
1. step-by-step study of the keyboard "muscle memory";
2. the game "falling letters" helps to distract from studying the keyboard and develop a reaction;
3. typing - skills development;
4. touch typing - imitation of work on a typewriter, enhances and consolidates the skill of touch typing;
5. sound dictation - just like in school, the voice dictates the story and you need to type without errors for speed.

There are other programs of this kind, but I do not think that they are fundamentally different or better than those that we have considered. This is quite enough.

Keyboard online simulators

Here we look at 2 good online resources that are dedicated to mastering touch typing.

Keyboard solo online

Training is provided free of charge. However, if you want, you can transfer money to ErgoSOLO LLC in the amount of 150 rubles (this is the same as the price of their SOLO on the keyboard program). The process and methodology of training does not differ from those presented in the program. Everything is very high quality and with care for the student. Here you can compete in the rating with other "online soloists", which, by the way, are already quite a few. Users who have paid for the course have an asterisk next to their name. In general, both the SOLO program on the keyboard and the online course are what a beginner needs. I think this is the best option.

All 10 (Recommended)

Another new project that promises to rid us of the habit of poking two fingers on the "clave". At the beginning you will have to take a test to check your typing speed. Then the exercises begin. Two courses are available - Russian and English. The training section provides detailed instructions and recommendations for completing assignments.

Clavogonki.ru

The basic rules of the game are simple. The game will select a random piece of text that you and your opponents must type exactly. As fast as possible. When you successfully type, your typewriter (it's always at the top of the list) moves forward. If a typo is made, you must correct it or there will be no promotion. Based on the results of the race, the winners will be determined and some parameters of the passage of the text will be shown - time, typing speed in characters per minute and the percentage of characters in which errors were made. The results of each race are stored in your personal statistics. For each text passed, you are awarded a number of points, depending on the length of the typed text.

Time Speed ​​Keyboard Trainer

The main goal of the "Time Speed ​​Keyboard Simulator" project is to enable the widest range of computer users to master typing (touch typing or ten-finger typing). We offer a series of touch typing training courses as well as typing speed development.

VerseQ online

This is an online version of the famous VerseQ keyboard trainer but, unlike its offline counterpart, allows you to study from anywhere the globe, participate in competitions, share his successes with friends and acquaintances. You need the service if you want to quickly, easily and naturally learn touch typing. And if you're already a typing pro, then show off your skills to others!

More online keyboard trainers

http://urikor.net - the first typing championship in Cyrillic
http://klava.org
http://alfatyping.com
http://typingzone.com
http://etutor.ru
http://keybr.com/
http://online.verseq.ru/

Addition

To all of the above, you can add the following. Everyone who works at a computer, and especially if you have to type a lot of text, needs to buy an ergonomic keyboard. It is also called separate, because the keys for each hand are separated in it. In addition, the right and left blocks are at an angle to each other, which allows not to bend the hand at the wrist when placing the hands in the initial position of FYVA-OLJ. Working on such a keyboard, you will definitely get less tired, and this will increase your average speed print and performance.

I have already said that you should not hope for an easy "conquest" of the blind printing method. It's quite difficult, especially in the beginning. To pass, for example, SOLO on the keyboard completely, you will need to make a lot of effort and patience. In addition, you will need to allocate special time for this. However, you should not be afraid of this, everyone who wants to undoubtedly cope with this task. Good luck!

Fast typing on the keyboard is a very useful skill. I'll tell you what program I chose for learning how to quickly type on the keyboard with 10 fingers.

Today, we have to spend a lot of time at the computer and, of course, type various texts, commands and messages. I reply to messages every day social networks, on e-mail I take notes, write articles, draw up various documents.

Everyone needs touch typing skills

It turns out that every day I type on the keyboard several pages of text, both in Russian and in English language, and in time it takes at least two hours.

Probably also many of you. There is work that is directly related to documentation and, accordingly, to printing, and there this occupation takes almost the entire working day. But still, touch typing with 10 fingers on a computer is still a dream for many of us, not to mention fast typing at the speed that would suit us.

I used to think that it takes a very long time to remember the location of the keyboard keys and learn how to type quickly. We had a couple of lessons in computer science at school on learning how to quickly type on the keyboard. I do not remember what programs were, but they did not bring the final result. Several times I started to practice using various typing speed training simulators. But I did not have the patience to go through all the levels, typing certain letters and symbols over and over again. To pass each such level you need to type quickly and, as a rule, without errors.

I remember how I spent several hours trying to pass the next level. It was difficult for me, it took a lot of time, I gave up and abandoned training without achieving a result. Over time, I began to type faster, but constantly looked at the keyboard. And yet it is very inconvenient, especially in poor lighting, I got confused, lost my mind. Fast typing with all fingers long time remained my dream.

And just recently, just two weeks ago, I came across a wonderful quick typing tutorial - the VerseQ program, which was very different from all the others. I really liked it and I decided to try again. And this time it worked!

Already on the first day, I began to type on the keyboard and not peek at the keys. It turned out that fast printing 10 fingers blindly on a computer is not such a difficult thing. Now I don’t really think about where which letter is located. AT recent times I continue to train regularly and want to increase my speed.

What programs am I comparing to?

• "". This is the program I tried to learn from before. It is paid, it costs 600 or 900 rubles.
• "" - free.
• "All 10" - free, online, similar in principle to Solo.
• "FastKeyboardTyping" is free, online, similar in principle to Solo.
• "klava.org" - free, online, training of individual words.
• "keybr.com" - free, online, for English.
• "Online VerseQ" is free, online, but it's different from VerseQ.
• "" - free, online, you can compete with other people, you need to choose dictionaries for training.
• "type.slovelas.ru" - free, online, letters fall, you need to have time to type them.

There are many others, such as "Bombina", "RapidTyping", "iQwer". This is where I end my list.

Why I chose VerseQ

VerseQ is a tutorial. With this quick typing software, you memorize all the letters of the alphabet at once and practice typing them. At first it may seem difficult, but you get used to the keyboard pretty quickly. In other simulators, it often happens that while you are training a new combination of letters, the old ones are forgotten and the speed of their typing drops. Due to this, already on the first day you can remember all the letters, and in the future only work on speed and it will gradually grow.

The algorithm each time selects a combination of letters characteristic of the selected language, this helps to quickly memorize the most frequent keyboard shortcuts. There are no lessons, exercises, no need to spend energy on learning and memorizing, you just type a series of letters. If you make mistakes, you don't have to repeat this line again, the program will simply correct the next one, and in this way you will quietly work on your weak points.

You study at a comfortable pace, after each printed line you can take a break and look at the statistics. While typing, statistics are hidden and do not distract you. This speed typing tutorial has a nice tutorial that also teaches you some interesting stuff about sleep. Training languages ​​- Russian, English, German; for Russian as many as 3 levels of difficulty. I also really like the interface - nothing superfluous and pleasing to the eye.

Try to exercise regularly, every day. Now I train 2 times a day for 20 minutes. I recommend not to worry about the typing speed at the first stages, it will come by itself with time. It is very important to type without errors, and do it with high rhythm.

You probably already imagine how the ability to type quickly will change your life. Here are just some of the advantages that blind fast typing with ten fingers on a computer gives:

• - you will save a lot of time;
• - increase your productivity and efficiency;
• - you will be less tired;
• Your hands will finally be able to keep up with your thoughts.

The keyboard typing speed record is about 1000 characters per minute. Everyone can learn to print at a speed of 300-400. We all have different learning abilities, someone reaches this level in a week, another will take several months.

How to get this program

The official website of the VerseQ program is www.verseq.ru. You can download it there. You can use the program for seven days free of charge. During this time, you will be able to evaluate its effectiveness. Then it needs to be registered. The program costs 170 rubles.

Touch typing is a way to efficiently type with ten fingers without looking at the keyboard.

What for?

Blind typing allows you not to think about the typing process and focus on the text and your thoughts. Also:

• Good Technique Reduces Mistakes
• With experience, the speed of typing will increase
• If necessary, new alphabets are easy enough to learn

How it works?

The blind set includes several important components:

Hand position

The protruding stripes on the F and J keys are special marks showing the place for the index fingers at rest.

Hand positioning is the first step in blind typing practice.

Kit

In touch typing, each finger has its own zone on the keyboard. Only the corresponding finger can press the keys of its zone. This is a particularly difficult limitation for those who are already typing constantly and actively, as it requires a person to change their habits.

Unfortunately, standard keyboards are designed in such a way that huge pressure falls on the little fingers, especially on the right little finger of programmers. On ergonomic keyboards, the control keys are often placed under the thumbs, as they are underloaded and, in general, are stronger and more agile than the little fingers.

alternation

The most efficient blind typing occurs when the fingers are constantly alternating. Try to check it out yourself. Type the word “dad” with the index finger of your left hand (these letters are in his zone), and then the word “gaga” (the index fingers of both hands).

Most of the layouts were designed with this factor in mind, for example, the YZUKEN layout. But QWERTY was created too long ago, when you had to take into account other factors (for example, sticky keys), and this was reflected in efficiency. Therefore, alternative layouts have been created, such as DVORAK and Colemak. Here is what Wikipedia says about the latter:

• Speed. Faster than QWERTY and somewhat faster than Dvorak, since Colemak has less pressure on the little fingers and more hand alternation.
• Ergonomics. The 10 most common English letters and the Backspace key are located on the second (home) row of the keyboard. In Colemak, the home row is used on average 3% more often than in the Dvorak layout, and 40% more often than in QWERTY. This results in less finger movement when printing on Colemak than when printing on QWERTY.

But alternation is not only a layout, but also a technique. The spacebar lies immediately below the two thumbs, which means we have a choice of finger to press. In touch typing, the space must be pressed with the thumb of the hand that was not involved in pressing the previous character. For example, if we type the word “code”, then the space after it is pressed with the left hand, if the word is “mine”, then with the right.

How to learn?

You can do it yourself, just follow the rules above. But with a high degree of probability, the percentage of errors during typing will be high, both during the learning process and after. Specialized Services help you learn to type with a minimum number of errors. There are many similar services, and you should find them on Google and try different variants(Readers share links in the comments below).

The main obstacle is not so much the lack of time for training, but the work associated with typing. Since in this case, for fast printing, you have to do it in the usual way. The main thing, after some practice on simulators, is to force yourself to completely abandon typing in the old way and press the keys only with those fingers that blind typing requires. And it’s completely normal if you peek at the keyboard. The technique isn't about not looking, it's about navigating the keyboard correctly. Over time, the need to watch will disappear. And yes, the speed will drop catastrophically, but don’t worry, it will recover very quickly, in a couple of weeks you will probably catch up with your former self, and then start moving forward.

How much time will it take?

It depends on many factors, but, on average, you can learn the basics in a couple of weeks and become effective in a couple of months.

Kirill Mokevnin

The speed of performing a task on a computer may depend not only on obvious factors: processor performance or, roughly speaking, human ingenuity. Sometimes the most limiting factor is purely mechanical work, namely typing on the keyboard. Thoughts go far ahead, and the fingers do not have time to fix the text. Obviously, this situation is faced not only by writers, journalists, programmers, but also by all those who have to type text with two or three fingers without taking their eyes off the keyboard.

Surprisingly, the blind ten-finger typing method, discovered back in the 19th century, is now many times more relevant for every active computer user. Its skillful application can significantly reduce the time spent on text input.

The review includes keyboard simulators, each of which has at least one hallmark among programs of this kind. Therefore, when choosing a simulator, you can navigate by the headings of the review.

"Solo on the keyboard": a reliable all-rounder

"Keyboard Solo" is the most versatile keyboard trainer, so it's worth starting the review with it. In addition to Russian, English and German, the Taming of Numbers course, which will be useful, for example, to accountants. Universal edition includes Russian, English and digital layout.

The first impression after installation can be skeptical: too informal approach. However, the further the user moves away from the beginning of the course, the more meaningful these digressions become. They allow you to take a break from fairly monotonous exercises. Perhaps, greatest benefit from textual material - recommendations for correct pressing, posture, correct technique, which is important for blind ten-finger typing. Looking ahead, only Solo delivers this information evenly throughout the course.

Before doing the exercises, you need to do a warm-up, which helps to adapt to the "Solo". In real time, as well as after training, you can see the statistics: GPA, typing speed, number of errors. Statistics are available not only for exercises, but also for days, it can be used to trace the dynamics of the exercises.

Keyboard training does not contain meaningful phrases, these are pre-prepared "synthetic" expressions - unlike, say, the VerseQ considered further, where the string for typing is formed based on user errors. By the way, in "Solo" mistakes are extremely unwelcome, often you have to redo the task several times. The requirements for passing are strict, the exercises become more difficult with each new level, of which there are about a hundred. Yes, apparently, it is not in vain that the program provides for psychological tests.

The interface of the program makes an ambiguous impression. Comparing to previous versions"Solo on the keyboard", it cannot be said that the new interface, designed in gray and green tones, has significantly improved the ergonomics of the program. On the one hand, it is quite convenient to work with, all settings and elements are well documented in the help. But you can find fault with the fact that on the virtual keyboard it is not indicated which finger to press this or that key, no hints are displayed during the exercise. As a result, not having sufficient experience, you need to return to the description of the exercise.

VerseQ: learning from your mistakes

In the description of the program, what is more important is not that the user will be able to type blindly “literally in an hour” (according to the author of the simulator). Attracts something else: VerseQ uses algorithms in training that are not based on “training”, and also does not “punish” for mistakes made during exercises. Moreover, the course is based on user errors and problematic phrases, which, according to statistics, most often have difficulties. Moreover, by design, the user does not learn about his mistakes from the statistics, VerseQ imperceptibly adjusts them in further exercises. Despite this, overall statistics are displayed both during training and in the form of training dynamics by pressing F9.

Three modes of operation are available - with German, Russian and English layouts. There are no introductory exercises, in addition, all the letters of the alphabet are already initially involved. However, you should not expect that the typed text will be meaningful: as a rule, these are repeated combinations of letters that are phonetically related to each other (they can be pronounced). The technique is based not only on pressing, but also on the transitions between the keys.

A distinctive feature of VerseQ is a moderate "tone" of presentation, a soothing color scheme and a neutral design in general. It is not known how much effort it takes to exit the program in a state of irritation. By the way, if we talk about the price issue, in "Keyboard Solo" a warning about an unregistered version appears after each exercise, in VerseQ - only at the beginning of the program launch.

All the most important information collected in a concise help file: how to use the program correctly, teaching methodology, keyboard techniques. Perhaps what is missing in this simulator is more detailed instructions for working with exercises, as is done in "Solo".

Typing Master - a classic of the genre

By and large, this simulator could not be included in the review, since it does not support the Russian-language layout, but still: a) it is useful for improving touch typing skills in Latin in English, Spanish, German, French or Italian; b) The Typing Master is a great example of a structured, balanced course.

Typing Master's strict approach and conservatism will not appeal to every user, at the same time, compared to Solo, the program is presented even more concisely. Typing Master offers the following courses:

• Touch Typing Course - directly, touch typing course
• Speed ​​Building Course
• Numbers Course - a small typing course on the top digital row
• Special Marks Course - an express course on additional characters: brackets, mathematical signs, etc.
• Numeric Keypad Course - Numeric Keypad Course

Each course consists of theoretical and practical blocks. At the beginning of the exercise, the time for completing the task is indicated, it is also proposed to choose the difficulty (from 90% to 98% of correct hits). In the mode of learning new keys (“new keys”), the letters for typing are not phonetically connected, but in the “drill” mode, you need to enter exactly the words: there are separate exercises for words, sentences, paragraphs. At the end of the task, statistics are displayed from which you can find out which keys cause the greatest difficulty.

Additionally, it is worth noting the TypingMaster Satellite - an assistant that works in the background and tracks the mistakes made, and also creates individual exercises for the most difficult combinations.

The interface was created by developers who are attentive to detail. First of all, it explains very intuitively and literally which finger to press which key, with attached keyboard diagrams. It is very useful that keyboard errors are displayed as crossed keys (other simulators do not, which leads to several repeated errors after one wrong press).

TypingMaster does not allow you to deviate from the given program even one step and is somewhat reminiscent of dry language grammar courses. However, this cannot be called a disadvantage, rather - salient feature of this simulator, which will either keep the user or push him away.

Stamina - freedom of action

After reviewing the Typing Master, Stamina turns out to be the most “non-serious” simulator in the review. The program will not appeal to users who find the developer's sense of humor inappropriate and at the same time are fully committed to learning the ten-finger typing method. Non-seriousness begins with help, all kinds of comments and ending with voice acting. To the sound - special claims made by visitors on the home page of the program. This point can be fixed with a patch or through the "Censorship" option in the Stamina settings.

Despite the foregoing, it is not worth jumping to conclusions and ignoring the simulator. It is enough to pay attention to the variety of training modes - "Lessons", "Phrases", "Letters", "All Symbols" and "External File". Of greatest interest are the lessons that are divided into basic exercises, combinations of letters, numbers and symbols. Regarding the lessons with the numeric keypad: the developer claims that he “did not make much effort” and invites users to participate in the development process themselves (quote: “Can you do something smarter?”).

Unfortunately, the author of Stamina placed the program with its wide capabilities in an inconvenient shell, so when starting the simulator it is not entirely clear how and in what sequence all this functionality should be handled. On the other hand, the help explains quite intelligibly the course methodology, basic concepts, typing techniques (the position of the fingers on the keyboard, etc.). Special attention is given to an alternative method of placing fingers on the keyboard.

The keyboard simulator can also be advised to work with the Ukrainian or Belarusian layout (that's something you won't find in other simulators). The basic distribution contains lessons in Russian, English, Ukrainian, it is possible to connect phrases in other languages.

Thus, main feature Stamina - the freedom of action provided to the user. Therefore, you can perform the exercises in any order, create your own course. The disadvantage of the method is that it is not known how soon concrete results can be achieved with this approach.

Klavarog - online training

Klavarog is a self-sufficient online simulator, indicating that the project can exist and develop through donations. And development progress is actually noticeable if you look at .

In Klavarog, similarly to the same Stamina, there is no set sequence like step-by-step exercises from simple to complex. The simulator fixes errors and adds problematic words to each generated line of text (the principle of operation is similar to both Stamina and VerseQ).

It is convenient to navigate the keyboard layout using the color scheme, it can be turned on in the program settings (the "fill" icon). A hint in the form of a hand is very useful, with which finger to press the desired key (a similar possibility was seen only in Typing Master). Experienced users can turn off all hints or switch to Zen mode, where there are practically no distractions.

In addition to standard courses with Russian and English layout, there are courses in digital layout, Esperanto, programming languages ​​PHP, Python, SQL, XML/XSLT. Special attention is drawn to exercises in the dictionary: you need to enter correct translation words from the available options. If the word is chosen incorrectly, it must be entered three times. Thus, it is possible to kill two birds with one stone: "keyboard" and language skills are improved at the same time. True, due to the fact that the set of words is generated by the program, guess correct option translation is easy enough.

Unfortunately, in this keyboard trainer you cannot record results, track statistics and skill development. In general, the possibility of creating an account on the site would not hurt - technically this can be implemented.

You can make your suggestions for the development of Klavarog on the page.

Bombina: a simulator for the little ones

"Bombina" occupies a free niche where there are no competitors. This simulator is designed for teaching schoolchildren (rather even younger children). school age) ten-finger blind typing method.

The shell of the program is “cartoonish”, children should evaluate it. However, reasonable complaints may arise in adults. The interface is not intuitive in all places, and it will seem inconvenient that the navigation elements or, for example, the “Start” button at the beginning of the exercise are not clearly marked out: you have to look for them. For example, who would have thought that the image of a rag is the local analogue of the "Exit" button.

There are questions about the method of the simulator: how the training takes place, what to pay attention to parents and children. It turns out that there is a fairly detailed help that exists separately from the program. It is recommended to start "Bombina" with an introductory course, which explains in detail the placement of fingers on the keyboard, and describes the keys. Then you can move on to the exercises. If in other simulators the emphasis is on transitions and keyboard chords, here you need to pay attention to jumping "chips" and repeat their movements.

The "Bombina" provides difficulty levels that affect the number of errors allowed in the exercise. You can activate auto-transition from one difficulty level to another: it will work after successfully completing the exercise with a high score at least three times.

As a result, given that the program has a lot of interactive elements, modes (there is even a logic game), it can be recommended for teaching children the basics of computers. At the very least, Bombina would be a smarter choice than an endless string of casual games.

Table 1. Comparison of keyboard simulators by functionality

Many modern users of a personal computer or laptop, who are constantly faced with typing, will surely be surprised by the fact that touch typing has existed for 125 years! Widely replicated in American films, the ten-finger typing method is an excellent solution for increasing efficiency and is useful to everyone today. To a large extent, this explains the presence of many materials teaching touch typing on the Internet, online lessons and typing simulators to increase typing speed.

What it is?

Blind printing method(typing, American blind ten-finger typing, in English there are also touch input and touch typing) - keyboard text input in which a person does not look at the keys. And printing with 10 fingers is carried out through the development of muscle memory through constant practice.

History of the method

Blind typing was made famous by F. E. McGurrin, who worked as a stenographer in the Salt Lake City Court. This man, who practiced his own ten-finger fast typing method, won a typing speed competition on July 25, 1888 against an opponent who used the sighted eight-finger method. This event was widely described in the periodical press, resulting in a huge increase in the popularity of typewriters. The printing method itself became famous (Wikipedia).

The layout of the keys on modern keyboards is mostly standardized, but some manufacturers sometimes resort to a non-standard look, which makes it difficult to get used to and type when changing workstations. Initially, the symbols on the keys, primarily letters, did not have the usual QWERTY arrangement for us, but were made in two rows in alphabetical order. This created a problem with the levers engaging with each other and led to the invention by Christopher Scholes in 1868 of the QWERTY layout. A feature of such a keyboard was that the keys with the most common letter combinations in English were placed as far as possible from each other, which made it possible to avoid interweaving of levers and make the typing process more comfortable. It was on a typewriter with such an arrangement that F. McGurrin won the competition, which glorified QWERTY. Today, experts criticize this layout for inconvenience, offering alternative ones (Dvorak, Colmack), but in popularity they are significantly inferior to the traditional one.

The Russian YTSUKEN did not have problems similar to alphabetic and QWERTY keyboards, it was initially the most convenient for typing, since the most frequently used letters were in the center, it was easy to reach them with the index finger.

Benefits of ten-finger blind typing

Computer technologies have become so firmly established in everyday life that we cannot imagine our life without them. When we need to prepare an essay on a university course, when we need to find information of interest on the Internet, we first turn to input devices (keyboard and mouse). The complexity of the task and the time spent largely depend on the speed of typing. Based on this, the first plus of blind typing is that by focusing on the text, and not on the keys, concentration and attentiveness are significantly increased, it is possible to avoid absent-mindedness. It also makes it easier to work in a poorly lit room.

Secondly, with ten-finger typing, without looking at the keyboard, the typing speed increases significantly. For everyone, it is unique, but indisputably higher than that of a person who does not use it. For the Russian layout, the record for the number of entered correct characters in touch typing (officially included in the Guinness Book of Records) was set by M. Shestov and is 720 characters per minute. Obviously, by using short typing, typing will become easier, since you will be able to automate the process to some extent. This is very important if every day you are faced with the need to type large texts, because now it will be less energy consuming, and efficiency will increase.

Third, with the right speed dial, oddly enough, the number of errors and typos is significantly reduced.

Fourth, an important advantage, which is sometimes emphasized by the authors of various simulators, is physical convenience. The absence of the need to look from the keyboard to the display and back contributes to the conservation of vision, maintaining the muscle tone of the neck, and healthy posture. The use of the ten-finger method involves all fingers in the process of work, which also allows you to protect yourself from occupational diseases.

Blind Printing Methodology

The advantages of the blind ten-finger printing method are undeniable. High speed set for all people working with a computer is directly proportional to the efficiency and amount of time spent on the performance of work.

An interesting fact is that in the USA 95% of people own blind printing, because they begin to teach this even in primary school. Numerous programs are also designed to help develop this skill: from children's flash games to paid multifunctional keyboard simulators for adults. AT Western Europe learning the ten-finger typing method is also included in educational program. But in our country, not everyone can boast of this useful skill, despite the fact that, according to experts in the field of typing training, everyone can learn to type quickly.

1. "Home" keys

The ten-finger set is based on the fact that each finger has its own keys, which should be pressed by it. In fact, the process of developing a skill comes down to the constant training of “muscle” memory. In order to learn how to quickly type blindly, the first thing you need to remember is how the fingers should be located on the keyboard - the so-called "home" keys.

The initial position of the left hand (standard Russian keyboard layout): little finger on the "F" key, ring finger on "Y", middle finger on "B", index finger on "A". Starting position for right hand: little finger on "F", ring finger on "D", middle finger on "L", index finger on "O". The thumbs of both hands are located on the gap. For greater convenience, almost all computer equipment manufacturers make special protrusions on the "A" and "O" keys, so that even without looking at the keyboard, you can easily find the "home" line and always return your fingers to their original position.

2. Each finger has its own keys

In addition to the "home" keys, each finger is assigned, as a rule, buttons above and below the original one. At first, it is very difficult to teach yourself to type in this way due to the unnatural position with individual clicks, but later, with practice, convenience will come.

Example 1. The classic scheme for matching keys to fingers

Example 2: Modified Finger Key Mapping

In the second option, according to Andrey Mikhailov (Habrahabr), you do not need to slip the left little finger under the ring finger.

3. Constant practice

Practice leads to perfection. Try closing your eyes and, placing your fingers on the home line, type your first and last name on a blank sheet. Keep practicing until you can do it without making mistakes. Then go to simple sentences, such as "Mom washed the frame" or "I have an apple." Try not to look at the keyboard while doing this. Be persistent - it won't work right away. If the activity gets annoying, take a break and continue later.

4. Special training programs

For further development skill, you can use a variety of both paid and free programs, which will help you learn the location of the keys and quickly type text, develop finger motor skills. Details about the pros and cons of keyboard simulators can be.

• Take your time in the early stages of learning. High typing speed will come later as a result of practice. First, it is important to remember the location of the keys and learn how to type without errors, the rest is a matter of technique.
• Press the corresponding keys only with the corresponding fingers. It may not be very convenient in the beginning, but once the habit is developed, it will be much easier. Although if it is more convenient for you to “change the purpose” of individual fingers, you can try using your own technique.
• Learn not to look at the keyboard. More precisely, wean yourself from this, if necessary - use improvised means to hide it.
• Keep your fingers close to the base position. There should be no randomness in the movements of the fingers and hands, only naturalness.
• Mark your progress. Most programs automatically count characters per minute and errors. Once you have mastered touch typing enough, play a game with yourself - blindfold and write free text, and then check.
• When typing, keep your back straight and your head straight in front of the screen.
• If you are using a desktop computer, it will be more convenient if you hold the keyboard slightly to the right of the monitor, as shown in the picture below for the right computer (inf. Habrahabr):