Touch typing layout

[DonnyD]

So i cant touch type for now. I have XD96 with staggered qwerty layout, i tried learning touch typing, but its too uncomfortable with the pinky's. I am also planning building IRIS split keyboard. Do you recommend learning touch typing with the iris or with regular keyboard first ? I thought better start right away with ergonomics.

[bananasplit_00]

I mean i hardly use my pinkies at all and i touchtype. I dont follow the cramping spider way of typing at all because its damn uncomfy. Id learn a "normal" keyboard first though, just whip out a towel and place your pointer fingers on the homing bumps. I got it down enough to just look at the screen and remove the towel in two days or something

[nevin]

easiest way to learn touch typing is get blank keycaps.
  - you can't cheat and look at the board when there's no legends on it.

you can do two different shades/colors of caps to keep it a little interesting. i usually do mods in a different color and/or alternate colors on the number row like f-row was older keyboards.

switching from a standard staggered layout to a column stagger (like the iris) will be an asjustment as well but you'll pick it up quick. it's only slightly different, you just have to reprogram your muscle memory.

[DonnyD]

As i cant touch type with staggered, i wont need to reprogram my muscle memory, as i dont have it either way, i think i will try at least be decent with staggered layout, then try something ergonomic.

[nevin]

i've never been a fast typist. i use more shortcuts for my daily job than actually writing words. (on this forum is probably where i write the most). but over the last couple years i no longer look at my keyboard anymore.

if you want to do it on the cheap, when i was back in school we'd put a piece of paper or something over our hands/keyboard so you couldn't see it. or you could put tape on the tops of the keycaps, wouldn't be pretty, but would do the job (so you can't cheat)

when i went to blank caps. initially i kept looking trying to get a reference of where i was, but eventually i just stopped looking....

another thing that i think is a great idea is thumb clusters on some of the recent-ish ergo boards. why would you put the most used modifier (if on windows) on the outermost edge of the keyboard? makes no sense to me....

best of luck & keep us posted on your progress.

[DonnyD]

Thanks for your replys. I will try to get about 40-50 WPM on staggered layout. And while i learn i will get all the parts for ergo keyboard. Hopefully before i will be done assembling split keyboard, i will be decent with staggered layout Its more of a hobby than need of split keyboard, i just liked making my XD96 and i want more.

[phinix]

Same here, was thinking of getting ergodox ez for learning touch typing.

[nevin]

i went to a split board for the ergonomics of the stuff on my desk. (i've been at this a long time and rarely get flare ups anymore, since i started taking the placement/position/height of stuff more seriously)
- hand separation
- mouse closer
- all benefits of a custom board... choices of... switches, caps, programmable, etc...

[enzo33]

I had to learn to touch-type when I built my ergodox. I use the Workman layout, not QWERTY, but I couldn't find any cheap dox keysets with a flat height profile and no homing bumps on J/F, so I had to go blank.

Switching to column-stagger and blank keys at the same time was a tough transition. I was really slow for a week or two (wrong finger/hand, or reaching for the old row-staggered location and mistyping). It might have been easier to ease myself in one step at a time, but it would have taken longer and I might have needed a second keyset to cover my normal board. Honestly, you can learn to touch type on any board if you persevere. I also recommend blank caps as a learning tool/fashion statement.

[theKM]

Why get used to the typical stagger nonsense at all?... you're already curious about the enlightened path, just do that. Regular stagger, it's a hit-or-miss that you'll pick up bad habits you'll have to unlearn.

Most common is the mess of your left hand, because hitting the lower keys with your fingers is a crossing over nasty mess. I used to randomly hit 'vcx' keys with wrong fingers all the time... but switch to split ergo, it got my typing way better, and faster.

...in my opinion, skip the mess and learn with the smarter ortho/columnar keyboards. It'll be easier to pick up the messy stagger later if you feel you absolutely have to.

[nevin]

Why get used to the typical stagger nonsense at all?... you're already curious about the enlightened path, just do that.

lol. yes. sounds silly & over the top but it's true.

i switched to a split ortho board (viterbi) little less than 2 years ago and am still kicking myself for not getting one sooner.