Has anyone learned to touch type?

I want to, with the Azerty keyboard. Not necessarily for great speed, but for typing my thoughts without having to look at and concentrate on the keyboard.

Any ideas on how best to proceed with this quest?

Iā€™ve been typing since the late 70s on computers, and was a software engineer for over 35 years. I never learned how to touch type, and still use four fingers and a thumb :+1:

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I learned years ago. You start off with your fingers hovering over the middle row asdf and jkl; (youā€™ll need to work out the equivalents on azerty). Then practice moving fingers up, down and to the middle, thumb for space bar. Just keep practising and look at the screen or paper instead of the keys. Good luck!

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I remember typing resolutely ā€œwithout looking downā€ only to discover Iā€™d typed a load of twaddle 'cos Iā€™d started with my hands slightly misplacedā€¦
My teacher thought it was great! I was just 1 out ā€¦ all the way throughā€¦ but it proved Iā€™d done as I was told and read (and typed) what was on the blackboardā€¦ :rofl: :rofl: :+1:

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Seriously, @Bonzocat ā€¦ take a look at youtubeā€¦ there are videos to get you startedā€¦
but placing the hands correctly is all importantā€¦ and itā€™s worth perseveringā€¦

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Try typing ā€˜The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dogā€™ a few times it contains the full alphabet.

:rofl: :rofl: thatā€™s a bit cruel for a beginner, surelyā€¦ :wink:
I vaguely recall seeing the keyboard with fingers in the home-position, a huge picture, on the blackboardā€¦ and being asked to tap a particular letter or couple of lettersā€¦ over and overā€¦ gradually without peeking if possibleā€¦ gradually the fingers ā€œknewā€ where they wereā€¦ and other letters were added to the exerciseā€¦
slow and steady wins the raceā€¦

Rather like hairbear I worked in software engineering for years without ever quite learning to type with all ten fingers.

Though, interestingly, I find if I can avoid focussing on the keyboard *too* much it seems that my fingers do manage to find the right keys without looking - most of the time at any rate :slight_smile:

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I was offered a free fulltime course, 2 years
the aim was to get young Mums back into the workplaceā€¦ rebuild confidence and learn new skills and revamp what we already knewā€¦
Best thing I ever didā€¦
touch-typing was just one of many, many subjectsā€¦

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hairbear & billybutcher ā€“ I too can type quite fast, usually early in the morning with 2 to 4 fingers, but slow down during the day, and I let spellchecker do its part after I have finished.

Being of lazy mind I want to sharpen it and at the same time look at my thoughts as they appear on the screen, not at the keyboard.

I can find a full stop and the delete key without looking, but thatā€™s about all!

I am very bad at typing and as I spend my time 50% on azerty, 40+% on qwerty and 10-% on qwertz I shall remain very bad, I think there is no hope for me.

Some say that there is always hope ā€“ but in your case it sounds like you are being realistic, and thatā€™s not such a bad thing . If a motive emerges to touch type - on all three - youā€™ll touch type.

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I typed ā€œThe quick brown fox jumps obver the lazy foxā€ with 2 fingers in 20 seconds ā€“ about as fast as I can go - with one mistake. The ā€˜bā€™ and ā€˜vā€™ are next to each other on the keyboard.

Iā€™ll search YouTube as Stella suggested and get cracking!

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I learned to touch type when I was training as a sparky in the Merchant Navy. We would spend two times two hours per week in the ladies typing training room. Music was played as we had to type rythmatically as we tapped the keys whilst looking at the script on a screen , like a blackboard.
We then had to do the more tricky job of touch typing to Morse code.

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Part of my college business course when I left school, two hours per day every day touch typing over and over again and I can still do it now even with an azerty keyboard. Same with shorthand, over and over and over again but I have forgotten most of that now.

Yes, exactly the same for me. I rarely look down, except if Iā€™m using the tablet virtual keyboard. Still havent got used to the smaller spacing even after years of use.

I used the Mavis Beacon training yesar Bcka nda it swa invuable

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The old typewriters were easier to learn touch typing than todayā€™s computer keyboards I feel as you donā€™t have the same space and they are very easy to make mistakes on. I loved the sound of myself really speeding along in the office typing out the paperwork of the clickety-clack and then the golfball machines were quieter.

Forgotten the touch typing but the Morse code is still in there somewhere.

My wife was a p.a. to a Chartered account in Lincoln Inns Field in the late 50s. Her touch typing speed was extremely fast and accurate and the typewriter really clattered. When word processors arrived she found the smaller keyboard and lack of feel really frustrating.

I was taught touch typing in the Army - home keys asdf ;lkj still recalls those days.