How do you get the breakdown to sound right?
Name the breakdown directly and say it slows down: "breakdown at half tempo" or "half-time double bass drum" tells the model to drop the pace and add weight, rather than just repeating the same speed with heavier guitars. Pairing this with "drop-tuned chugging guitars" describes the low, choppy palm-muted sound that defines the section without needing guitar tuning names.
How do you prompt the switch between harsh and clean vocals?
State the vocal style separately for each section: "harsh screamed verse, clean sung chorus" is more reliable than one blended description like "aggressive melodic vocal". Suno and Udio follow vocal timbre words such as screamed, growled, raspy and clean fairly well, but they do not reliably time an exact switch mid-line, so expect to regenerate a few times to get the contrast where you want it.
| Vocal word | What it gets you |
|---|---|
| harsh screamed | aggressive, distorted verse vocal |
| growled | lower, guttural verse vocal |
| clean sung | melodic, in-tune chorus vocal |
| falsetto | higher, thinner clean vocal for contrast |
What tempo and drum pattern words work for metalcore?
Metalcore commonly sits at 140 to 180 BPM for verses and choruses, with breakdowns often implied at half that speed by saying "breakdown at half tempo" rather than giving two separate numbers. Always name "double bass drum" directly, since it is the drum pattern most associated with the genre's driving, relentless feel; without it, the model may default to a plainer rock beat.
Should you describe the guitar tuning?
Say "drop-tuned" or "down-tuned" rather than naming a specific tuning like drop C, since the model responds to the general low, heavy character rather than exact pitch instructions. Add "chugging" or "palm-muted" to describe the rhythmic, percussive guitar sound that sits under the drums, which is a bigger part of the metalcore identity than any single tuning choice.
Lyrics skeleton
Original, for structure
[Verse] Walls close in, I count the cracks Every step is a step back [Breakdown] Hold the line, hold the weight Nothing left to hesitate [Chorus] We rise above the fall Still standing after all [Outro] Echo fades, the silence stays
Common mistakes
- Writing just "metal" or "heavy music" instead of "metalcore", which loses the specific breakdown and vocal-switch identity; name the genre directly.
- Asking for both vocal styles in one phrase like "screamed and clean vocal" with no section split, which often blends into a muddy in-between sound; describe each section's vocal separately.
- Mixing contradictory moods such as "uplifting, dark, aggressive" all at once, which confuses the output; pick one dominant mood and at most one secondary one.
- Adding exact tuning names or technical guitar jargon expecting precision, which the model does not reliably follow; use "drop-tuned" and "chugging" instead.
- Leaving out the double bass drum, which results in a slower, more generic rock beat; name it explicitly if it matters to the track.