The prefix key is an essential part of tmux, by default all of tmux's
key-bindings sit behind a prefix. This prefix is very similar to vim's leader
key. It is common for folks to change the default C-b (control b) to C-a or
if they are a vim user something to match their vim leader key.
set -g prefix C-Space
bind Space send-prefix
A few of the essential default key-bindings.
% vertical split
" horizontal split
d detach
up select up one pane
down select down one pane
right select right one pane
left select left one pane
t clock
o swap panes
c create window
n next window
p previous window
A more complete list of key-bindings can be found in this gist https://gist.github.com/mzmonsour/8791835.
https://waylonwalker.com/tmux-nav-2021/
for more information on how I navigate tmux, check out this full post