so ive been a tech for about a year and i keep hearing people talk about CW and how great it is and i kind of want to learn but i have no idea where to begin. like do i just memorize the dots and dashes on a chart or is there some other way people do it. i tried printing out a chart and staring at it for a couple days but nothing is really sticking and i feel like im doing it wrong. is there like a recommended speed to start at or does that not matter at first. also does anyone actually use a straight key when learning or do i need a paddle right away, i dont even own a key yet so im kind of starting from zero here

dont start with a chart, seriously that will make it way harder than it needs to be. look up the Koch method, thats what most people recommend now and its what worked for me after i tried the chart thing and got nowhere. basically you learn two characters at a time at a higher speed like 20wpm but with long gaps between them, and you add new ones only when you can copy the ones you already know at like 90% accuracy. LCWO dot net is a free website that does exactly this, ive been using it for a few months and its way better than i expected.

for a key, a straight key is totally fine to start with, honestly might be better while youre still getting the hang of timing. dont go buy an expensive paddle right away. a cheap straight key off amazon or a used one from a hamfest is all you need to just get started making sounds and getting a feel for it.

yeah same boat as you a while back. the thing that actually helped me was just listening to a lot of code, like even when im not actively trying to copy it. theres an app called Morse Mania that i had on my phone and i would just run through it on my lunch break. also ham morse is another one people mention. you wont get it overnight and theres a week or two where it just sounds like noise and then something kind of clicks and you start hearing letters. its a weird process honestly