Edit 3x Faster With ONLY 7 Keyboard Shortcuts: The Fast Track to Pro-Level Editing
When I started filmmaking, I had no idea how much time I’d spend staring at a timeline. Trimming, dragging, slicing, navigating. It felt like editing was taking forever.
If you’ve ever spent hours tweaking a simple project, wondering why your edit still isn’t done — you’re not alone.
But here’s what nobody told me early on: the fastest editors aren’t clicking around with a mouse — they’re flying through their timeline with keyboard shortcuts.
Once I learned these 7 shortcuts, I started editing three times faster. And the best part? They work in any video editing software — whether you’re using Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve. The names might change, but the functionality stays the same.
Let’s dive in.
Shortcut 1: Navigation Keys (Arrow Keys + Shift)
Before you even start cutting, trimming, or adjusting, you need to move fast and accurately through your timeline.
That’s where the arrow keys come in:
Left/Right Arrow = Move your playhead one frame at a time.
Up/Down Arrow = Jump to the nearest edit point (clip cuts, transitions, etc.).
Shift + Left/Right Arrow = Jump five frames at a time for faster scanning.
💡 Pro Tip: Make sure your video layers (V1, V2, etc.) are activated — if a layer isn’t active, the playhead won’t jump to its edits with the up/down keys.
Shortcut 2: Move Clips with Command + Arrow (or Alt + Arrow on Windows)
Need to nudge a clip slightly without dragging it with your mouse?
Command + Left/Right Arrow = Move the selected clip by 1 frame.
Command + Shift + Left/Right Arrow = Move by 5 frames.
This is perfect for lining things up precisely — especially audio/video sync or fine-tuning transitions.
Shortcut 3: Add Edit (Cut) – Default is Command + K (I use "C")
Forget switching to the razor tool every time you want to cut.
Just place your playhead where you want a cut and hit:
Command + K (or whatever you assign — I set mine to C)
This instantly slices every active track at the playhead. No extra clicks, no tool switching.
💡 Remember: the edit only applies to tracks that are currently selected!
Shortcut 4: Ripple Trim to Previous or Next Edit (Q + W)
These two are absolute time-savers when you want to delete part of a clip and close the gap automatically.
Q = Ripple Trim to Previous Edit (deletes everything before the playhead)
W = Ripple Trim to Next Edit (deletes everything after the playhead)
It’s faster than manually cutting, selecting, deleting, and then pulling everything forward. It’s one key — done.
🎥 In Final Cut Pro, this is called “Trim to Start/End.” In DaVinci Resolve, it's “Cut Head/Tail.”
Shortcut 5: Shuttle Playback (A + S)
Waiting for your footage to play back in real time is a huge time sink — especially for long talking head edits.
Speed it up with shuttle keys:
S = Shuttle Forward (1x speed → press again for 2x speed, etc.)
A = Shuttle Backward
These don’t change your clip speed — just your playback speed. That means you can skim through your timeline much faster and still make precise cuts.
🎬 In Final Cut: it’s called Forward/Reverse Playback. In DaVinci: Play Forward/Play Back.
Shortcut 6: Speed/Duration Dialog (I use “G”)
Need to make a clip play in slow motion or speed it up?
With your clip selected, hit your shortcut (I use G) to open the Speed/Duration menu.
From there, you can set playback speed by percentage.
For example, 60fps footage at 40% speed = smooth slow motion in a 24fps timeline.
🎥 Final Cut calls this the “Retime Editor.” DaVinci calls it “Retime Controls.”
Shortcut 7: Rate Stretch Tool (R)
This one’s perfect for demo or tutorial videos when you want to shorten a clip without worrying about exact speed percentages.
Select the Rate Stretch Tool (default shortcut is R)
Drag the end of a clip to shorten it — the software will automatically adjust the playback speed to fit that new duration.
✅ Great for screen recordings where you don’t need to show the full action in real time.
🎬 In DaVinci, this is called the Time Stretch Tool. (Final Cut doesn't have a perfect equivalent.)
BONUS: Apply Default Transitions (Shift + D)
This one wasn’t part of the main 7, but it’s worth including because it’s a total time-saver.
Select multiple audio or video clips
Hit Shift + D to apply your default transition to all selected clips at once
No more dragging fades or dissolves one by one. You can also customize what your “default transition” is (e.g., Cross Dissolve, Dip to Black).
🎧 I use it for audio transitions between clips to eliminate that pesky pop.
Final Thoughts: Let Your Keyboard Do the Heavy Lifting
If you’ve made it this far, you’re serious about becoming a faster, smarter editor. These 7 shortcuts changed my workflow, and I wish I had known them earlier.
📌 Here's your game plan:
Start with 2–3 shortcuts that you’ll use most often (Q/W and Shuttle Speed are great starters).
Commit one new shortcut to memory per project.
Customize your shortcuts to fit your style. If “C” makes more sense for cutting, make it your own.
Every shortcut you learn is time added back into your life — time you can spend creating more, shooting more, and building the career you actually want.
Got a favorite shortcut I didn’t cover? Drop it in the comments below the video so we can all level up together.
And if you’re ready to speed up your edit even more, check out my latest video on the best plugins to streamline your workflow even further.
Thanks for reading — now go make something awesome.
