Keyboard shortcuts

Last updated September 24, 2026

Keyboard shortcuts in Flat let you input notes, navigate your score, shape dynamics, and build articulations without breaking your composing stride. Flat maps letter keys to note names rather than physical positions, detects your keyboard layout, and groups shortcuts into Workflow Modes so the number keys change job as you change composing pass. Press Alt + / at any time to open the interactive shortcuts reference inside the editor.

Shortcuts vary slightly by device and keyboard layout. Flat auto-detects your layout on Chrome and the desktop app; on Safari or Firefox, pick it yourself — see Keyboard layout.

Coming from MuseScore, Dorico, or Sibelius? A few shortcuts work differently in Flat — most notably S (slur, not staccato) and duration ordering (1 = whole note). Check out the migration guide on our blog for a full comparison.

Want to customize your shortcuts? You can remap keys directly in the editor. Check out the dedicated help page.

Keyboard layout

Flat maps letter shortcuts to the letter printed on the key, not to its physical position. Press the key labeled A and you get an A, whether your keyboard is QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ, Dvorak, or Colemak.

For that to work, the editor needs to know which layout you use:

Chrome, Edge, and the desktop app detect it automatically.
Safari and Firefox can't detect it, so the editor assumes QWERTY (US) until you choose your layout.

To choose your layout, open the shortcuts reference (Alt + /, or the keyboard button at the top of the editor sidebar) and use the Keyboard layout menu at the bottom of the dialog's left column. Available layouts:

QWERTY (US)
QWERTY (UK)
QWERTY (Spanish)
QWERTY (Portuguese)
QWERTY (Brazilian)
AZERTY (French)
AZERTY (Belgian)
QWERTZ (German)
QWERTZ (Swiss)
Dvorak
Colemak

Your choice applies immediately and is saved on this browser or device — it isn't tied to your account, so set it again on another computer. Once you've picked a layout, automatic detection is turned off for that browser; pick a different layout from the same menu whenever you switch keyboards.

Workflow Modes

Workflow Modes let your number keys (1–9) serve a different purpose depending on which composing pass you're in — durations, articulations, dynamics, or ornaments — all without touching the mouse.

Switch modes with a single shortcut. A toast notification confirms which mode is active.

Mode	Shortcut	What 1–9 do
Composing (default)	`Ctrl` + `2`	Note durations (whole to 64th), rest, grace note
Articulations	`Ctrl` + `3`	Staccato, tenuto, accent, fermata...
Ornaments (pitched staves)	`Ctrl` + `4`	Trill, mordent, turn, tremolo...
Dynamics	`Ctrl` + `5`	ppp to fff, sfz

Switch to Articulations mode, mark a passage staccato with a few keystrokes, switch back — no toolbar clicks, no mouse detours. Ctrl + 1, 6, and 7 open the Document, Bars, and Text toolbars; the numeric keypad works for all of these too.

Audio

Action	Shortcut
Toggle Play / Stop (resumes if paused)	`Space`
Resume playback from where it stopped	`Shift` + `Space`
Go to start	`Ctrl` + `Space`
Toggle loop playback	`L`
Record live MIDI	`Shift` + `R`

Move through your score precisely — by note, by measure, by staff, or directly to any bar number.

Action	Shortcut
Next note	`→`
Previous note	`←`
Next measure	`Ctrl` + `→`
Previous measure	`Ctrl` + `←`
Go to part beginning	`Home`
Go to part end	`End`
Jump to measure number	`Ctrl` + `G`
Go to previous staff	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `↑`
Go to next staff	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `↓`

Selection

Action	Shortcut
Add next note to selection	`Shift` + `→`
Add previous note to selection	`Shift` + `←`
Extend selection to part above	`Shift` + `↑`
Extend selection to part below	`Shift` + `↓`
Select entire current part	`Ctrl` + `A`
Select all displayed parts	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `A`
Deselect everything	`Esc`

Voices

Action	Shortcut
Toggle between voices	`V`
Switch to Voice 2	`Shift` + `V`
Next chord note head	`Alt` + `↑`
Previous chord note head	`Alt` + `↓`

On Chromebooks, use Page Up / Page Down to move between chord note heads.

Note Input

Pitch

Type the letter name to enter the note. Flat maps keys to note names, not physical positions, on every supported keyboard layout.

Action	Shortcut
Enter note A–G	`A` `B` `C` `D` `E` `F` `G`
Add note A–G to previous chord	`Shift` + `A` ... `Shift` + `G`
Raise pitch by a diatonic step	`↑`
Lower pitch by a diatonic step	`↓`
Raise by an octave	`Ctrl` + `↑`
Lower by an octave	`Ctrl` + `↓`
Toggle enharmonic spelling	`J`

Intervals (add a note above or below)

Interval	Above	Below
Second	`Alt` + `2`	`Shift` + `Alt` + `2`
Third	`Alt` + `3`	`Shift` + `Alt` + `3`
Fourth	`Alt` + `4`	`Shift` + `Alt` + `4`
Fifth	`Alt` + `5`	`Shift` + `Alt` + `5`
Sixth	`Alt` + `6`	`Shift` + `Alt` + `6`
Seventh	`Alt` + `7`	`Shift` + `Alt` + `7`
Octave	`Alt` + `8`	`Shift` + `Alt` + `8`

Note Duration

In default Composing mode, your number keys control duration — from whole note to 64th.

Duration	Shortcut
Whole	`1`
Half	`2`
Quarter	`3`
Eighth	`4`
Sixteenth	`5`
Thirty-second	`6`
Sixty-fourth	`7`
Rest	`8`
Grace note	`9`
Lengthen current duration	`Shift` + `Alt` + `→`
Shorten current duration	`Shift` + `Alt` + `←`
Tie	`,`
Dot (augmentation dot)	`.`

Migrating from Sibelius or MuseScore? Duration ordering is reversed: 1 is the longest value (whole note) in Flat.

Tablature

On a tab staff, the number keys type fret numbers, so durations move to Shift.

Action	Shortcut
Type fret number	`0` – `9`
Note durations (whole to 64th)	`Shift` + `1` ... `Shift` + `7`
Next string	`↑`
Previous string	`↓`
Move note to lower string	`Ctrl` + `↑`
Move note to upper string	`Ctrl` + `↓`

Insert Mode

Action	Shortcut
Cycle between edit modes	`I`

Tuplets

Tuplet	Shortcut
Duplet	`Shift` + `2`
Triplet	`Shift` + `3`
Quadruplet	`Shift` + `4`
Quintuplet	`Shift` + `5`
Sextuplet	`Shift` + `6`
Septuplet	`Shift` + `7`
Nonuplet	`Shift` + `9`

Use , for ties — there is no T shortcut for ties or triplets in Flat.

Accidentals

Action	Shortcut
Flat (♭)	`-`
Flat the last note added	`Shift` + `-`
Sharp (♯)	`=`
Sharp the last note added	`Shift` + `=`
Natural (♮)	`0`
Set last note added natural	`Shift` + `0`
Toggle enharmonic spelling	`J`

Measures

Action	Shortcut
Remove measure	`Ctrl` + `Backspace`
Add measure	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Enter`
System break	`Ctrl` + `Enter`
Left repeat barline	`[`
Right repeat barline	`]`

Articulations

Switch to Articulations mode (Ctrl + 3) and keys 1–9 map to the articulations below. S (slur) works in any mode.

Articulation	Shortcut
Slur	`S`
Staccato	`1`
Staccatissimo	`2`
Tenuto	`3`
Detached Legato	`4`
Strong Accent (marcato)	`5`
Accent	`6`
Fermata	`7`

Coming from MuseScore? In MuseScore, S adds staccato. In Flat, S opens a slur. Use 1 in Articulations mode for staccato.

Playing Techniques

Pitched staves only, in Articulations mode.

Technique	Shortcut
Up bow	`8`
Down bow	`9`

Dynamics

Switch to Dynamics mode (Ctrl + 5) and keys 1–9 map to the dynamic levels below. Pedal and hairpins work in any mode.

Dynamic	Shortcut
Pianississimo (ppp)	`1`
Pianissimo (pp)	`2`
Piano (p)	`3`
Mezzo-piano (mp)	`4`
Mezzo-forte (mf)	`5`
Forte (f)	`6`
Fortissimo (ff)	`7`
Fortississimo (fff)	`8`
Sforzando (sfz)	`9`
Pedal	`P`
Crescendo hairpin	`Shift` + `,`
Diminuendo hairpin	`Shift` + `.`

Ornaments & Extended Techniques

Switch to Ornaments mode (Ctrl + 4, pitched staves) and keys 1–8 map to the ornaments below.

Ornament	Shortcut
Trill	`1`
Mordent	`2`
Inverted mordent	`3`
Turn	`4`
Inverted turn	`5`
Tremolo	`6`
Glissando	`7`
Arpeggio	`8`

These work in any mode:

Action	Shortcut
Trill	`Shift` + `T`
Ottava (8va)	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `8`
Ottava bassa (8vb)	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `9`

Remove, Undo & Edit

Action	Shortcut
Remove selected element	`Delete`
Remove element and move left	`Backspace`
Undo	`Ctrl` + `Z`
Redo	`Ctrl` + `Y`
Copy	`Ctrl` + `C`
Paste	`Ctrl` + `V`
Cut	`Ctrl` + `X`
Duplicate	`R`
Save (web editor; the desktop app saves on its own)	`Ctrl` + `S`

Export

Action	Shortcut
Print	`Ctrl` + `P`

User Interface

Snap to any toolbar or panel without reaching for the mouse.

Action	Shortcut
Document toolbar	`Ctrl` + `1`
Note toolbar	`Ctrl` + `2`
Articulation toolbar	`Ctrl` + `3`
Ornament toolbar	`Ctrl` + `4`
Dynamic toolbar	`Ctrl` + `5`
Measure toolbar	`Ctrl` + `6`
Text toolbar	`Ctrl` + `7`
Lyrics input	`Ctrl` + `L`
Annotation	`Ctrl` + `E`
Chord symbol	`Ctrl` + `K`
Figured bass	`Ctrl` + `B`
Classic chord	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `K`
Reset zoom	`Ctrl` + `0`
Zoom in	`Ctrl` + `=`
Zoom out	`Ctrl` + `-`
Toggle fullscreen	`Ctrl` + `Shift` + `F`
Display Help	`/`
Open shortcuts reference modal	`Alt` + `/`

Shortcuts shown use Ctrl (Windows/Linux). On Mac, use ⌘ in place of Ctrl and Option in place of Alt. Toolbar shortcuts also work with the numeric keypad.

Frequently asked questions

Which keys do I use on a Mac?

Every shortcut on this page is written with the Windows and Linux keys. On a Mac, press ⌘ wherever the table says Ctrl, and Option wherever it says Alt. The letter, number, and arrow keys are the same on both platforms, so nothing else changes.

My shortcuts don’t match my keyboard — what should I do?

Flat auto-detects your keyboard layout on Chrome, Edge, and the desktop app. Safari and Firefox can’t report it, so the editor assumes QWERTY (US) until you choose your own. Open the shortcuts reference with Alt + / and pick your layout from the Keyboard layout menu.

Why does S add a slur instead of staccato?

Because Flat assigns a few keys differently from other notation software. S opens a slur, and durations run from 1 as the whole note rather than the shortest value. For staccato, switch to Articulations mode and press 1.

Can I change a shortcut to the key I am used to?

Yes. You can remap keys directly in the editor, which is the usual fix when you are migrating from another program and a few chords fight your muscle memory. See custom keyboard shortcuts for how to set your own bindings.