Ah, thanks! That actually makes a lot of sense.
I don't have my function keys mapped to their regular place (organized them in a numpad configuration) so performing that motion never crossed my mind. Also, I'm typing on a split ergonomic board, so I can't technically perform a continuous slide over the function keys even if I map them back; there's no 12-key rows available on this baby.
Would it be possible to include a fallback option to perform the slide with a single key?
Anyway, I can now progress through the tutorial and enjoy the game. Thanks! Really digging the style of everything.