Stemlets

Stemlets are short stems that extend from beams to rests within beam groups. They can help make music easier to read, as they help to maintain a regular pattern of stems within beams.

In the examples, beaming all notes and rests together to show the boundaries of quarter note (crotchet) beats makes the syncopation of the notes easier to read. The stemlets on the rests help make clear where within the quarter note beats each note occurs.

Figure 1. A syncopated phrase without stemlets
Figure 2. The same phrase with stemlets

In Dorico Elements, you cannot add stemlets or change where they are shown. However, stemlets are shown if you import or open a project that contains them.