• You are not logged in.

    fingering alternatives ?

    • Started by bmx007
    • 6 Replies:
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 22-Nov-2009
    • Posts: 58
    26-Nov-2009 16:07:20#1 fingering alternatives ?

    Hi,
    Ive been learning Colemak for almost 2 months and I love it (even if I can't use it at work cos I am still too slow).
    However I found the letter P awkward to reach with my index especially If I try to keep my other fingers on the home keys.
    That make me bend my wrist outward which is really unconfortable and even aching.
    So I decided to use medium finger instead, which seems to work pretty well . I sometimes confuse the F and P though (but I m still learning).

    Has anybody tried fingering alternatives or encounter that kind of problem ?

    Offline
    • 0
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 10-Oct-2009
    • Posts: 7
    26-Nov-2009 19:36:48#2 Re: fingering alternatives ?

    i don't think you should keep your hands on the home row all the time. They just tell you that when you're learning to make the point that you should always try revert back to that default hovering position. imo
    Using my index finger for P is no trouble at all, moving my hand forwards slightly. say < 1cm
    using the 2nd finger is very awkward for me. Watch some people type on youtube to see how far their hands deviate from the home row.

    Offline
    • 0
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 03-Jul-2009
    • Posts: 189
    26-Nov-2009 21:57:47#3 Re: fingering alternatives ?
    bmx007 said:

    Hi,
    However I found the letter P awkward to reach with my index especially If I try to keep my other fingers on the home keys.
    That make me bend my wrist outward which is really unconfortable and even aching.

    Of course it is uncomfortable: you are doing it wrong. You shouldn't be bending your wrists at all.

    When you are typing, your wrists should be kept straight, while your hands should be floating above the keyboard since only your arms would move.

    Look at this video showing old-time typists, who are doing it right:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkMB5Q27nQI

    An ergonomic layout doesn't solve everything. You'll still have to follow ergonomic guidelines.

    Cheers

    Dvorak typist here.  Please take my comments with a grain of salt.

    Offline
    • 0
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 22-Nov-2009
    • Posts: 58
    27-Nov-2009 00:14:03#4 Re: fingering alternatives ?

    I understand, but why bothering movind my hand when my medium come naturally on this key. In the same way, I move my hand too much, I lost quite quickly my home row. That's one of the reason I switched from Qwerty to Colemak, in Qwerty when I am tryind to type faster I lose my home row. As with colemak you are using it pretty much every two keys it seem easier (for me) to not get lost. 
    (that's my first post typed in Colemak :) )

    Offline
    • 0
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 03-Jul-2009
    • Posts: 189
    27-Nov-2009 00:35:24#5 Re: fingering alternatives ?

    I'd say: do what works for you, but I'm curious about what makes you get lost. Could you post a video of you typing?

    Last edited by spremino (27-Nov-2009 00:36:29)

    Dvorak typist here.  Please take my comments with a grain of salt.

    Offline
    • 0
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 17-Mar-2008
    • Posts: 192
    27-Nov-2009 08:50:25#6 Re: fingering alternatives ?

    Naturally you are free to do whatever you want. However, remember that by switching fingers you incur same-finger combinations of "PF", "PS" and "PC". None of these digraphs are very common except "SP", so you probably won't suffer that much.

    You might also consider trying Comfort Colemak which should straighten your wrists out a bit.

    Offline
    • 0
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 22-Nov-2009
    • Posts: 58
    27-Nov-2009 15:03:41#7 Re: fingering alternatives ?
    tomlu said:

    Naturally you are free to do whatever you want. However, remember that by switching fingers you incur same-finger combinations of "PF", "PS" and "PC". None of these digraphs are very common except "SP", so you probably won't suffer that much.

    I was worried a bit about that indeed but It appears that I found the  PS digraph quite easy to do my way, and that make some other easier as well (like PT or PG, which are not very common either).
    By the way I guess than wher you typing trigrah like pig or pit than almost like having a pg pt digrah, isn't it ? ;)

    Offline
    • 0