CompTIA A+ | Microsoft MTA O/S: Where should fingers be placed on the keyboard?

Posted filed under CompTIA A+, MICROSOFT MTA O/S.

Source Computer Hope
 
 
As you can see in the picture below, your left-hand fingers should be placed over the A, S, D, and F keys and your right-hand fingers should be placed over the J, K, L, and ; keys. These keys are considered the home row keys. Your thumbs should either be in the air or very lightly touching the spacebar key.

keyboard finger position

What fingers press each key on the keyboard?

In the table below, we’ve listed the home row keys in the top blue bar and each of the keys that finger presses, as well as the keys that the thumb (spacebar) presses. As seen in this table, both pinkies, especially the right-hand pinky, are responsible for the most keys on the keyboard.

ASDFJKL;Spacebar
~ `
! 1
Tab
Q
Caps
A
Left Shift
Left Ctrl
Z
Fn key		@ 2
W
S
X		# 3
E
D
C		$ 4
% 5
R
T
F
G
V
B		^ 6
& 7
Y
U
H
J
N
M		* 8
I
K
< ,		( 9
O
L
> .		) 0
P
; :
? /
– _
[ {
” ‘
Right Shift
+ =
] }
Delete
\ |
Enter
Right Ctrl		Alt keys
Windows key
Option key

The remaining keyboard keys not listed above are not necessarily assigned to a specific finger for pressing them. Instead, you can use whichever finger is easiest or most comfortable for reaching and pressing those keys.

 

Should my palms be resting or should they be raised?

When typing, your palms should be raised and not resting on any surface, including a wrist pad, and held at a 10 to 30-degree angle. Raising or lowering your wrists too much in either direction or resting them while typing can cause stress and may lead to carpal tunnel.

 

Other keyboard safety tips

While keeping your palms raised while typing, there are also other tips you can follow to help prevent carpal tunnel and pain while you type. Keep the below suggestions in mind every time you type.

  • Keep your keyboard home row height as close to elbow level as possible.
  • Center the spacebar with your body
  • Do not angle or bend your wrists. While typing keep your wrists elevated and as straight as possible.
  • Avoid hunt-and-peck typing as it causes strain on the neck from having to look down at the keyboard often.
  • Don’t use more force than needed to press the keys.
  • When you are not typing make sure to rest your arms and hands. However, never rest your arms, hands or wrist on a sharp edge.
  • Take a break from typing every 20 to 30 minutes. If you have a hard time remembering when to take a break set a timer or drink lots of water that forces you to go to the bathroom more often.

 

 

Want more information on how to become CompTIA A+ Certified? Learn more!

 

 

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