Lesson 1: Home Row Keys

Where your fingers belong

Every touch typist starts from the same place: the home row. This is the middle row of letters, and it gives your hands a base to return to after every keystroke. Place your left fingers on A S D F and your right fingers on J K L ;. Your thumbs rest lightly on the space bar.

Feel the small raised bumps on the F and J keys. They are there so your index fingers can find their spot without help from your eyes. Once your index fingers sit on those bumps, the other fingers fall into place beside them.

Which finger presses which key

• Left pinky (red): A
• Left ring finger (orange): S
• Left middle finger (green): D
• Left index finger (blue): F, and a short reach to G
• Right index finger (blue): J, and a short reach to H
• Right middle finger (green): K
• Right ring finger (orange): L
• Right pinky (red): the semicolon (;)

The keyboard on this page uses the same colors, so you can glance at it while you work: pinky red, ring orange, middle green, and index blue.

How to practice

1. Sit up straight with your feet flat and your elbows close to your sides. Your wrists should float, not rest on the desk.
2. Curve your fingers so the tips, not the pads, touch the keys.
3. Type the drill above slowly. Say each letter in your head as you press it.
4. After each key, let the finger return to its home position. This habit is the whole point of the lesson.
5. Try to keep your eyes on the screen. If you must look, look once, then look away and type from feel.

Short sessions work better than one long one. Ten minutes a day for a week will do more than an hour on a single evening, because your hands learn through repetition and rest.

Common mistakes

• Looking at your hands. It feels faster at first but it stops you from building muscle memory. Cover the keys with a cloth if you are tempted.
• Using the wrong finger. A wrong finger may hit the right key today, but it limits your speed later. Slow down and use the finger in the list above.
• Hovering high above the keys. Keep your fingers close to the keys so each movement is small.
• Pressing too hard. Keys need only a light touch. Heavy hands tire quickly.
• Rushing. Accuracy comes first. Speed is a side effect of clean, repeated movements.

What to aim for

You are ready to move on when you can type the home row drill with your eyes mostly on the screen and only a few mistakes. Speed does not matter yet. If you want extra repetition, open the home row typing practice page, or play a relaxed round of a typing game for beginners from the game list.

What's next

Next you will reach upward to the top row of letters while keeping your home position steady. Continue with Lesson 2: Top Row Keys.

Ready to measure your progress? Try the typing test, browse the Learn to Type lessons, or play a few typing games.

Frequently asked questions