How to choose the rest duration mode in Flat
Last updated November 4, 2026
The rest duration mode in Flat decides what happens to a rest when the cursor jumps onto it while you write. Flat has two modes: Change, the default, gives the rest the duration of the note you just wrote, and Keep leaves the rest with its original duration.
Where is the rest duration mode?
The rest duration mode is in the left panel, under the Notation tab, in the Modes section with the other editing and duration modes. It is a toggle rather than a one-off action: the mode you choose stays in effect for the notes you write afterwards.
| Feature | Where it is | Icon |
|---|---|---|
| Rest duration mode | Notation tab, Modes |  |
What does Change mode do?
In Change mode, when you write a note and the cursor jumps onto a rest, that rest takes the duration of the note you just added. This is the default because it suits most input: writing a run of eighth notes in an empty 4/4 bar keeps an eighth rest ahead of the cursor, ready for the next note.
What does Keep mode do?
In Keep mode, rests keep their original duration when the cursor jumps onto them. Use it when the rests of a bar are already right and you only want to write notes around them: the next rest stays a quarter rest, a half rest or whatever it was, whatever the duration of the note you just wrote.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the rest after my note keep changing length?
Because Flat is in Change mode, the default, where the rest the cursor jumps onto takes the duration of the note you just wrote. It is designed for fast input, and switching to Keep mode leaves the existing rests as they are.
Does this mode affect notes as well as rests?
No. It only governs what happens to a rest when the cursor jumps onto it as you write. How the notes around the cursor are treated is decided by the editing mode instead - see insert mode for the behaviour that pushes content right rather than overwriting it.
Does switching mode change what is already written?
No. The rest duration mode is an editing behaviour, not something stored in the music. Switching between Change and Keep changes nothing that is already written, only what happens to the next rest the cursor reaches.