In the quest to master any computer software, you have no choice but to get the hang of shortcuts and hotkeys. With these, you can easily streamline your workflows, and with less time spent, you can up your productivity as well. DaVinci Resolve is no exception to this.

With the right DaVinci Resolve keyboard shortcuts in the palm of your hand, some of the most complex tasks in Resolve can become so much easier, whether you’re an absolute beginner or an established professional, so let’s dive into them.

Why Keyboard Shortcuts Are Essential for DaVinci Resolve Users

Striving for efficiency when working with computer programs is a normal thing, whether you’re using something like a browser or Microsoft Word, or something incredibly specialized, like DaVinci Resolve. However, true efficiency is almost impossible if you don’t embrace shortcuts.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re just starting off with DaVinci Resolve, you’re comfortable with it, or you’re an industry professional; you might not use the same ones, but the best keyboard shortcuts for DaVinci Resolve will upgrade your workflow noticeably.

Essential Shortcuts for Every Editor

No matter whether you’ve been a Resolve editor for a day or for ten years; these are some of the most essential editing shortcuts in DaVinci Resolve, and knowing them from day one doesn’t hurt at all.

Basic Editing Shortcuts

• Cut: Ctrl + X

• Copy: Ctrl + C

• Paste: Ctrl + V

• Undo: Ctrl + Z

• Redo: Ctrl + Shift + Z

• Delete Selected: Backspace

• Select All: Ctrl + A

• New Bin: Ctrl + Shift + N

• New Timeline: Ctrl + N

• Trim Tool: T

• Blade Tool: B 

• Razor Tool: Ctrl + B

Navigation Shortcuts

• Play Forward: L

• Play In Reverse: J

• Stop: K

• Jump to the First Frame: ; (semicolon)

• Jump to the Last Frame: ‘ (apostrophe)

• Go Forward One Keyframe: ]

• Go Back One Keyframe: [

• Next Clip: Ctrl + Right

• Previous Clip: Ctrl + Left

• Above Clip: Ctrl + Up

• Below Clip: Ctrl + Down

Lesser-Known Shortcuts for Advanced Efficiency

Now that we’ve gone into some of the most pertinent time-saving DaVinci Resolve shortcuts for beginners, we can delve into those that are intended for people with a bit more experience with the program. These might not be the most popular options, but they’ll certainly help you boost your efficiency with more advanced aspects of the program.

Editing Enhancements

• Ripple Delete: Delete OR Shift + Backspace

• Ripple Cut: Ctrl + Shift + X

• Smart Insert: F9

• Overwrite Edit: F10

• Ripple Overwrite: Shift + F10

• Replace Edit: F11

• Fit to Fill: Shift + F11

• Place on Top Edit: F12

Color Grading Shortcuts

• Reset Selected Node Grade: Shift + Home 

• Reset Grades and Keep Nodes: Shift + Ctrl + Home

• Reset All Grades and Nodes: Ctrl + Home

• Auto Color: Alt + Shift + C

• Add Grade Version: Ctrl + Y

• Default Grade Version: Ctrl + U

• Next Grade Version: Ctrl + N

• Previous Grade Version: Ctrl + B

Fusion and Fairlight

While there are several functions and actions that can be assigned to Fusion and Fairlight in DaVinci Resolve, most of them are unassigned and you can choose to create your own custom shortcuts for them.

• Switch to Fairlight: Shift + 7

• Switch to Fusion: Shift + 5

• Create a Group in Fairlight: Ctrl + G

Scenario-Based Shortcuts: Practical Applications

There are a lot of specific workflows that you might need to contend with as a video editor, and if you’re using Vagon Cloud Computer to run DaVinci Resolve on a low-end device, this still applies. It could be making fast edits to video clips in the timeline, doing color correction real quickly, or making quick modifications to the audio clips that you’re working with. Worry not; here are some ways you can speed up editing with DaVinci Resolve shortcuts in various common scenarios.

Fast Cuts and Adjustments

Let’s say that you’re working with a whole lot of different clips and you need to put them all together for a scene with a lot of fast cuts. Knowing the quickest ways to manipulate the clips can be a lifesaver.

One key shortcut is to split clips at the position of the playhead. Using Ctrl + \ (backslash), you can cut a clip in two, making it easier to get only the part of the clip that you need. After that, ripple delete, using Delete, can help you remove the unwanted clip and automatically move surrounding clips to fill in the gap. Using Ctrl + Arrow Keys can help you navigate through your clips without touching the mouse.

Efficient Color Correction

The average viewer might not understand how much work goes into color grading, but as you and I know, it’s a lot. The good thing is that there are relatively quick ways to make modifications to the color correction that you’re doing.

First off, knowing how to bypass all grades using Shift + D lets you quickly see what the scene looked like before your edits; it’s essential to reference the original look ever so often. If you don’t like the changes you’ve made, you can reset the grades yet keep the nodes (Shift + Ctrl + Home) you’ve placed, letting you start the grading on those nodes from scratch. Want to reset only the selected nodes, then Shift + Home will do that.

And hey, if you don’t want to bother with color correction or any complicated DaVinci Resolve plugins, the auto color feature will apply what it deems best, just by hitting Alt + Shift + C.

Synchronizing Audio Quickly

The rich feature set for audio editing is one way that DaVinci Resolve beats out Final Cut Pro. Speaking of, almost every video editor will find themselves in a situation where audio and video were recorded on separate devices. As a result, they need to be synced together in software. Fortunately, it’s not too hard to do that.

If you want to sync an audio file with a video file, all you have to do is select them both in the bin, right-click, and choose “Auto Sync Audio”. There’s no keyboard shortcut set by default, but you can set one yourself.

Customizing Shortcuts for Your Workflow

The best part about DaVinci Resolve is that essentially every single action that can be performed in the program can have a shortcut assigned to it. The majority of actions don’t have shortcuts set for them, but you can easily add custom shortcuts using the Keyboard Customization menu. It will also let you modify the key combination for existing shortcuts.

You can open the Keyboard Customization menu with Ctrl + Alt + K. Once there, at the top-right corner of the Commands section, you can search for the command you want to modify. Once you see it, click to the right of its row and then press the key combo that you want to set. Make sure to hit the Save button once you’re done.

Customizing can help make frequently-used hotkeys more accessible and also give you the option to change key combos that don’t work for you as well as they should.

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Conclusion

Programs like DaVinci Resolve make it possible to do almost everything with the mouse alone, but even with all the courses and classes in the world, mastering it and becoming more efficient is bound to be very challenging without utilizing keyboard shortcuts. 

The shortcuts in this article represent only a tiny portion of all the shortcuts that are available in DaVinci Resolve. It’s definitely worth giving them a shot here and there. Fortunately, you can reference all of them in the Keyboard Customization window. As the namegives away, it also makes it possible to modify these shortcuts, and add new ones.

Are there any extremely helpful DaVinci Resolve shortcuts that you use but you didn’t see listed anywhere above? How about sharing some of your favorites in the comments?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

1. Why should I learn keyboard shortcuts in DaVinci Resolve?
   Keyboard shortcuts make editing faster and more efficient, helping you save time and focus on creativity instead of repetitive tasks.

2. How do I find a full list of shortcuts in DaVinci Resolve?
   You can view and customize shortcuts in the Keyboard Customization menu by pressing Ctrl + Alt + K. This menu provides a comprehensive list of all shortcuts.

3. Can I change or create my own shortcuts?
   Yes! The Keyboard Customization menu allows you to assign new shortcuts or modify existing ones to better suit your workflow.

4. How do I quickly split a clip at the playhead?
   To split a clip at the current playhead position, use Ctrl + \ (backslash). This is particularly useful when you need to divide a long clip into smaller sections for easier editing or when you only want to work with a specific part of the clip.

5. Is there a shortcut for deleting unwanted clips?
   Yes, you can delete clips in two ways:

   • Delete Key: Removes the selected clip but leaves a gap in the timeline.

   • Shift + Backspace (Ripple Delete): Deletes the clip and automatically shifts surrounding clips to fill the gap, keeping the timeline seamless.