Stage 6: What is it? How to do it?
How to do it?
Story Drilling is when you (aim to) produce the following on the screen, …while you speak the Story Key Phrases aloud:
qaz wsx edc rfv tgb yhn ujm ik, ol. p;/ ‘
You should be in good posture (Sittage) – with good hand position (Home Row) – and Eyes Front!
NB: this is physically the same as the Dex App ‘Sequence Drill’, except for the additional ‘step to the right’ that your right little finger must take for the “@@@@ apostrophe!” ending of the story.
NB: simultaneity is important. This practice is most valuable if you ensure you’re RECITING THE STORY ALOUD (or at least in your head) Keyword by Keyword as the letters appear in front of you – maybe even also imagining you’re doing the actions too.
Stage 6: What's it for?
Story Drilling builds on the progress made in:
Stage 1 (training your body to know which Finger for which letter)
and
Stage 5 (training your fingers to move precisely and dependably on their ‘territory’ on the keyboard.
Stage 6 now trains your subconscious to add to its learning the experience of seeing the relevant LETTERS for each Keyword from the story appear on screen in front of you simultaneously with the Keywords being spoken and the relevant Finger (from the Story Action) now making a specific small movement from Home Position on the keyboard.
Stage 6 trains the body to increasingly automatically link the movement of the correct finger with the letter it produces, all still in the context of the helpful Story ‘scaffolding’.
Stage 6: what do you do?
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Stage 6: When to start this practice?
How soon to start?
When your Story Performing (Stage 1) is ALWAYS Accurate. And probably quite Slick ‘n’ Quick.
If you occasionally make a mistake (wrong word, wrong finger, wrong action)… stick with Stage 1 Practice.
If , you’ve practised enough to start “getting it right” – stick with Stage 1 practice.
But when it’s become clear that you’ve practised enough to “Not. Get it. Wrong.” Ever. THEN you should get on with Stage 6.
You’ll probably have become pretty Slick too by this point. This means you just know that you can just perform a full (spoken and acted) 100% accurate run-through of the story without rushing, without hesitating, without faltering, stumbling, or mixing anything up – and without even worrying that you’ll slip up (let alone actually making any errors).
And you may even be getting quite Quick. If you can do a full Story Performance in less than 15 seconds, definitely start doing Stage 6: Story Drilling!
Less than 20 seconds… maybe start some Stage 6 – but keep working on getting Slicker and Quicker with Stage 1.
You want the Story Performance to be total ‘body knowledge’ – in other words your Hands/Fingers/Lips know how to do and say it, and your brain has stopped needing to remember it and make the body do it.
Stage 6: under what conditions?
You need to be at a keyboard.
In “Sittage”
(ie already very Slick at Stage 4)
In “Home Position”
(ie already very Slick at Stage 5)
With the “Pressure Off”
(no distractions or constraints, able to be 100% focused on being 100% Accurate or as close as you can!)
Stage 6: Objective
Be able to drill the full story* quickly and precisely.
(* without actually typing the right little finger’s Shift symbols initially – : ? and @)
Stage 6: when to move on?
Keep Stage 6 as a major element of your practice until…
you can drill the whole story, without error, in at least 20 -25 seconds…
Better still if you can do it in less than 16 seconds or so (you may need to mumble the Story Keywords to keep up with your fingers)…
Stage 6: When to stop?
It’s good practice to keep doing plenty of Story Drills – even when most of your practice is Stage 7 & Stage 8. Some people use a handful of Story Drills like a ‘warm up’ for their Stage 7 & 8 practice. And then again, as a ‘cool down’ at the end.
Make your Story Drill a specialist subject! Be an expert. So you know you can ‘rattle one off’ – or 3 or 5 or even more in a row (100% accurate of course!) any time you like !
The more you do, the more your fingers will be totally at home on their ‘territory’;
The more you’ll have precise individual finger control;
a repeatable, dependable habit.
And as habit forms, your body will let you get quicker & quicker
(just don’t try to go faster – at the risk of dropping Accuracy!)
You’re not done with Stage 6 until you can do a full Story Drill in, say 10 seconds or less, with not a flicker of a rumble strip, and maybe even while you’re no longer reciting the story words, but looking at, and chatting with, someone about the football or something!
However… it can get a little boring to do these drills, and you might be tempted to just ‘skipping’ them entirely.
If this is a danger for you, then the time has probably come for you to start doing some Mixed Up Story Drills!!
Stage 6: other FAQs
“Stroking the Keys” – explanation of a mind set to adopt?
“Mixed up Story Drilling” – an advanced version of Story Drilling for when you’re Slick and Quick at the normal drill
Mixed up Stories
2) as you become more consistent & comfortable with the story in sequence, make decisions while drilling to jump at random to different bits of the story, so you mix up the sequence but continue to drill each finger’s full column.
Capitalised Story
3) Much Later (after you’re getting Slick’n’Quick at Stage 8 in lower case!) do Capital initial letters in the drill (Keep your eyes up when using Shift) and sometimes use Carriage Returns or deliberate Backspaces… (requires
Section
How soon to start?
Ideally, start Story Drilling within 2 or 3 days of your training. But not until your Story Performing (Stage 1) is getting quite Slick.
(Otherwise you’ll thinking too much about the words distracts from focusing on your fingers)
Stage 6: Story Drilling
What is it? How to do it?
How soon to start?
How much?
How best to do it?
Where/when to do it? Under what conditions?
How to do it?
What’s it for?
Objective?
When have I done enough?When to move on?
What next – advanced exercises.
Developing dependable, high-precision, individual finger control
It’s good practice to keep doing plenty of Story Drills – even when most of your practice is Stage 7 & Stage 8. Some people use a handful of Story Drills like a ‘warm up’ for their Stage 7 & 8 practice. And then again, as a ‘cool down’ at the end.
Make your Story Drill a specialist subject! Be an expert. So you know you can ‘rattle one off’ – or 3 or 5 or even more in a row (100% accurate of course!) any time you like !
The more you do, the more your fingers will be totally at home on their ‘territory’;
The more you’ll have precise individual finger control;
a repeatable, dependable habit.
And as habit forms, your body will let you get quicker & quicker
(just don’t try to go faster – at the risk of dropping Accuracy!)
Prerequisites
Definition
Definition
Definition
Definition
Definition
Frequently Asked Questions when you’ve…
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Extra Resources
What is it? How to do it?
How soon to start?
How much?
How best to do it?
Where/when to do it? Under what conditions?
How to do it?
What’s it for?
Objective?
When have I done enough?When to move on?
What next – advanced exercises.
Other FAQs about your Story Drilling?
“Stroking the Keys” – explanation of a mind set to adopt?
“Mixed up Story Drilling” – an advanced version of Story Drilling for when you’re Slick and Quick at the normal drill
Extra Resources
What is it? How to do it?
How soon to start?
How much?
How best to do it?
Where/when to do it? Under what conditions?
How to do it?
What’s it for?
Objective?
When have I done enough?When to move on?
What next – advanced exercises.
Other FAQs about your Story Drilling?
How to do it?
Story Drilling is when you (aim to) produce this on the screen, repeatedly:
qaz wsx edc rfv tgb yhn ujm ik, ol. p;/ ‘
…while you speak the Story Key Phrases aloud
inn good posture (Sittage) – with good hand position (Home) – and Eyes Front!
1) Left to right, type the initial letters of the story keywords, finger by finger, column by column – preferably WHILE RECITING THE STORY ALOUD (or at least in your head) and if possible imagining you’re doing the actions too
Extra Resources
What is it? How to do it?
How soon to start?
How much?
How best to do it?
Where/when to do it? Under what conditions?
How to do it?
What’s it for?
Objective?
When have I done enough?When to move on?
What next – advanced exercises.
Other FAQs about your Story Drilling?
How soon to start?
Ideally, start Story Drilling within 2 or 3 days of your training. But not until your Story Performing (Stage 1) is getting quite Slick.
(Otherwise you’ll thinking too much about the words distracts from focusing on your fingers)
Stage 6: Story Drilling – when in your practice path?
Start doing some Stage 6 when:
You feel you’ve pretty much conquered Stage 4: “Sittage” (ie not having to think much about it any more)
You need to have become a ‘natural’ at Stage 5: the “Home Position” (ie automatic, non-thinking, accurate)
You’ve spent lots of time on the Lower Slopes first
especially Stage 1…
Stage 6: Story Drilling is when you (aim to) produce this on the screen, repeatedly:
qaz wsx edc rfv tgb yhn ujm ik, ol. p;/ ‘
…whilst simultaneously speaking the Story Key Phrases aloud
in good posture (Sittage)
with good hand position (Home)
and Eyes Front!
1) Left to right, type the initial letters of the story keywords, finger by finger, column by column – preferably WHILE RECITING THE STORY ALOUD (or at least in your head) and if possible imagining you’re doing the actions too
Why should you do (quite a lot!) of Story Drilling?
Because it establishes…
Finger Control – it helps you to establish secure & precise independent control over each finger.
Finger Familiarity – it gets each finger increasingly trained to stick to its ‘territory’ on the keyboard (whilst continuing to reinforce the story keywords).
Associations – it extends the subconscious links between your brain and your fingers, to include now Finger Movements too. Meaning that making those movements and seeing the Letters on screen and hearing the sound of the Keywords you’re saying becomes…
Anywhere where you can be:
- at a physical keyboard and
- in correct Sittage (ie in bed, on a sofa or at a breakfast bar not good!)
Also it’s best if you can avoid any PRESSURE at all: including from being under observation by others! or needing to rush because of other commitments.
You should endeavour to have the “Pressure Off” as much as possible
(no distractions or constraints, able to be 100% focused on being 100% Accurate or as close as you can!)
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Go no further than Stage 6 until you’re able to do a whole Drill (qaz … all the way to the apostrophe!) 100% accurately (right first time) – with a real sense of high Slickness – within 20 seconds.
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Under what Conditions?
You need to be at a keyboard.
In “Sittage”
(ie already very Slick at Stage 4)
In “Home Position”
(ie already very Slick at Stage 5)
With the “Pressure Off”
(no distractions or constraints, able to be 100% focused on being 100% Accurate or as close as you can!)
Why?
To establish secure and independent control over each finger, and make each finger increasingly familiar with its ‘territory’ on the keyboard (whilst continuing to reinforce the story keywords).
When?
Ideally, start Story Drilling within 2 or 3 days of your training. But not until your Story Performing (Stage 1) is getting quite Slick.
(Otherwise you’ll thinking too much about the words distracts from focusing on your fingers)
Variations
Mixed up Stories
2) as you become more consistent & comfortable with the story in sequence, make decisions while drilling to jump at random to different bits of the story, so you mix up the sequence but continue to drill each finger’s full column.
Capitalised Story
3) Much Later (after you’re getting Slick’n’Quick at Stage 8 in lower case!) do Capital initial letters in the drill (Keep your eyes up when using Shift) and sometimes use Carriage Returns or deliberate Backspaces… (requires
Objective?
Be able to drill the full story* quickly and precisely.
(* without actually typing the right little finger’s Shift symbols initially – : ? and @)
Why?
To establish secure and independent control over each finger, and make each finger increasingly familiar with its ‘territory’ on the keyboard (whilst continuing to reinforce the story keywords).
Stage 6: Story Drills
It’s good practice to keep doing plenty of Story Drills – even when most of your practice is Stage 7 & Stage 8. Some people use a handful of Story Drills like a ‘warm up’ for their Stage 7 & 8 practice. And then again, as a ‘cool down’ at the end.
Make your Story Drill a specialist subject! Be an expert. So you know you can ‘rattle one off’ – or 3 or 5 or even more in a row (100% accurate of course!) any time you like !
The more you do, the more your fingers will be totally at home on their ‘territory’;
The more you’ll have precise individual finger control;
a repeatable, dependable habit.
And as habit forms, your body will let you get quicker & quicker
(just don’t try to go faster – at the risk of dropping Accuracy!)
You’re not done with Stage 6 until you can do a full Story Drill in, say 10 seconds or less, with not a flicker of a rumble strip, and maybe even while you’re no longer reciting the story words, but looking at, and chatting with, someone about the football or something!
However… it can get a little boring to do these drills, and you might be tempted to just ‘skipping’ them entirely.
If this is a danger for you, then the time has probably come for you to start doing some Mixed Up Story Drills!!