Row Change

A row change is a two-event pattern whose actions use different non-thumb fingers on one hand and different key rows. Same-finger movement, cross-hand movement, thumb use, and movement within one row do not qualify.

On QWERTY, se and dr are row changes:

base

shift

Layer activators · Keysets

Layer activators

→MOshiftwhen the next typed key is in shift_right

→MOshiftwhen the next typed key is in shift_left

Keysets

shift_right→Right-hand keys except {}

shift_left→Left-hand keys

The default Movement table divides row changes by the relative reach of the two fingers.

Concordant

A concordant row change places the longer finger farther from the typist and the shorter finger nearer the typist. QWERTY se is concordant: the longer middle finger reaches to the upper row while the shorter ring finger stays nearer.

The classification is independent of typing order, so es is concordant as well.

The metric treats every different-row index–ring pair as concordant in either arrangement. This is a deliberate classification rule.

Discordant

A discordant row change places the shorter finger farther from the typist and the longer finger nearer the typist. QWERTY dr is discordant: the shorter index finger reaches to the upper row while the longer middle finger stays nearer. rd is classified the same way.

Concordant and Discordant partition the qualifying row changes. Patterns excluded from Row change appear in neither refinement.