The home row is the middle row of letter keys on a keyboard: A S D F G H J K L ;. In touch typing, your fingers rest on eight of these keys, A S D F for the left hand and J K L ; for the right, whenever you're not pressing anything else.
Why the home row matters
Every reach on the keyboard starts and ends at home. If your fingers always return to the same place, they can learn distances and directions by feel, which is what makes typing without looking possible.
The bumps on F and J
Almost every keyboard has small raised bumps on the F and J keys. Your index fingers rest there, letting you find home in the dark.
Common mistakes
- Drifting hands: If your hands slide right or left, every key will be off by one. Re-anchor on the bumps often.
- Resting wrists on the desk: Keep wrists lightly floating so fingers can reach freely.
- Forgetting G and H: These are reached sideways by the index fingers, they aren't "home" positions.
Practice it now
Put it into practice: take a free typing test and see your WPM, accuracy and the keys that slow you down.