How to add or remove staves in Flat
Last updated October 28, 2026
A stave in Flat belongs to a part, and a part can carry more than one. Flat lets you add staves to an existing instrument or remove the ones it no longer needs, from the same settings where parts are renamed, so an instrument such as a piano or an organ gets exactly the staves its music requires.
Where do I manage parts and staves?
The staves of a part are managed from its settings in the Instruments tab of the left panel. Open the menu next to the part and click the pencil icon, or click the part name on the score, to edit the instrument. Its staves are listed in the Staves category, alongside its name and its other settings.
How do I add or remove a staff for an instrument?
Edit the part from the Instruments tab, open Staves, and add a new staff for the instrument or remove an existing one. Changes apply to that part only, so the other instruments in your score keep the staves they already have.
Edit the part
In the left panel, open the Instruments tab, open the menu next to the part, and click the pencil icon. You can also click the part name on the score.
Add or remove a staff
Open Staves, then click Add a new staff for this instrument, or click the bin icon next to an existing staff. An instrument always keeps at least one staff.
Check the result
The change applies to the score right away and appears in the preview on the right. Click the back arrow to return to the list of parts.
How do I add or remove a staff for an instrument?
Staves belong to a part in Flat, so a single instrument can carry more than one and a stave can be removed when the part no longer needs it. Staves are managed per part, alongside the part's name and its other instrument settings, and the rest of the score is untouched.
Open the menu at the top right, tap Manage instruments, then tap the pencil next to the part and open Staves. Add or remove a stave there; the change applies to that part only.
Frequently asked questions
Why would one instrument need two staves?
Some instruments are written on more than one staff by convention: a piano uses a grand staff with a treble and a bass staff, and organ or harp parts often need extra staves. Adding a stave to the part keeps that music inside one instrument instead of splitting it across two.
What is the difference between adding a staff and adding a voice?
A staff is another line of notation for the same instrument, managed in the part's settings. A voice is a second rhythmic line written on an existing staff, which is what you use for a divisi or for chords whose notes have different durations.
Can I move music that is already written onto a second staff?
Yes, that is what split staff is for: it takes a staff two instruments are sharing and extracts its content onto two staves, either inside the same part or as two new parts, instead of leaving you to re-enter the music by hand.