Weight depends on how the band plays together. A short low riff with a rest can hit harder than several dense parts at once. These metal prompts choose clear roles for guitar, bass, drums and voice. They include melodic and instrumental options so the genre does not become a synonym for one vocal style.
Starting points in this collection
| Example tempo targets | 96 to 152 BPM |
|---|---|
| Original examples | 10 |
| Before making a recording | Choose the language and vocal or instrumental setting, then review the full brief. Tempo numbers are requests, not measured results. |
Prompts to copy and adapt
These are original directions to try, not recordings or verified performance results. Copy the sound description, then add your own story or lyrics. Use this idea carries the full selected brief into our main composer for review after sign-in.
The weight of a pause
Metal, 118 BPM. Instrumental only. A low palm-muted guitar riff with short rests, tight bass and a kick following the main accents. Use a brief higher guitar answer. Keep the rhythm clear and end with the band together. Give the main motif a clear foreground position, with answering phrases in the spaces between its statements. Keep the lower register uncluttered, and let changes in accompaniment mark the sections without adding a competing lead melody.
Stand beside the door
Metal, 126 BPM. Crunchy rhythm guitars, firm drums and clean mid-register singing. Keep the verse riff restrained and widen the chorus chords. Add one short melodic guitar response after the final chorus. Leave a short breath after each complete lyric phrase, and put instrumental replies in those gaps. Keep the lead clear when the accompaniment fills out; let the bass support the harmony without following every vocal note.
A narrow bridge
Metal, 152 BPM. Instrumental only. Fast muted guitar notes above a tight bass and precise drums. Introduce one slower sustained chord passage, then return to the original riff. Avoid an extended solo or cinematic sound effects. Give the main motif a clear foreground position, with answering phrases in the spaces between its statements. Keep the lower register uncluttered, and let changes in accompaniment mark the sections without adding a competing lead melody.
No borrowed armor
Metal, 134 BPM. A short distorted riff, dry snare and clean assertive lead. Let the chorus use longer vocal notes over simpler guitar chords. Keep backing voices sparse and the words intelligible. Leave a short breath after each complete lyric phrase, and put instrumental replies in those gaps. Keep the lead clear when the accompaniment fills out; let the bass support the harmony without following every vocal note.
Low line rising
Metal, 110 BPM. Instrumental only. A slow low guitar figure, sustained bass and firm restrained drums. Let a higher guitar melody enter over the same riff. Finish by removing the high line and returning to the opening pattern. Give the main motif a clear foreground position, with answering phrases in the spaces between its statements. Keep the lower register uncluttered, and let changes in accompaniment mark the sections without adding a competing lead melody.
The work remains
Metal, 144 BPM. A driving single-note guitar riff, tight bass and short drum fills. Use a rough spoken-sung verse and a clean melodic chorus. Keep both deliveries clear and avoid continuous layered ad-libs. Leave a short breath after each complete lyric phrase, and put instrumental replies in those gaps. Keep the lead clear when the accompaniment fills out; let the bass support the harmony without following every vocal note.
Two guitars one answer
Metal, 138 BPM. Instrumental only. Two harmonized electric-guitar lines over a simple rhythm guitar, bass and steady drums. Keep the lead phrase brief and repeat it with a changed ending. Resolve the final chord clearly. Give the main motif a clear foreground position, with answering phrases in the spaces between its statements. Keep the lower register uncluttered, and let changes in accompaniment mark the sections without adding a competing lead melody.
When the noise settles
Metal, 96 BPM. A quiet clean-guitar verse with intimate singing opens into broad distorted chorus chords. Keep the drum groove steady and the lead melodic. Return to clean guitar for the final words. Leave a short breath after each complete lyric phrase, and put instrumental replies in those gaps. Keep the lead clear when the accompaniment fills out; let the bass support the harmony without following every vocal note.
The weight of a pause: Answering phrases
Metal, 118 BPM. Instrumental only. A low palm-muted guitar riff with short rests, tight bass and a kick following the main accents. Build the arrangement around a question-and-answer pattern. State one short lead phrase, leave space for an instrumental reply, then repeat the exchange with a different ending. Let the middle section thin to the main accompaniment before the full texture returns. Keep the final answer shorter than the earlier ones and resolve it clearly.
A narrow bridge: A different harmony
Metal, 152 BPM. Instrumental only. Fast muted guitar notes above a tight bass and precise drums. Keep the main phrase recognizable through three passes. Start with a narrow accompaniment, change the chord underneath the phrase on its second appearance, then return to the first harmony with a small answering line above it. Keep the underlying pulse steady through the changes. Finish by removing that answering line, leaving the original phrase exposed.
Keep the words and sound separate
In Words into Music, put the words you want sung in the lyrics field and describe instruments and delivery in the sound direction. The music prompt generator helps you prepare that direction before making a song.
For Suno, Custom mode keeps your lyrics separate from the style request. Use the same sound description as a starting point, then adjust it for each tool.
Describe the riff before adding more gain
Say whether the guitar uses short palm-muted notes, broad sustained chords or a fast single-note pattern. Let bass and kick reinforce selected accents. Distortion on every low instrument can obscure the rhythm, so ask for clear attacks and reduce overlapping low sustained sounds.
Choose the vocal delivery explicitly
Clean melodic singing, rough spoken-sung delivery and harsher vocals are different directions. Pick the one that fits your original words. A quieter verse and a firmer chorus can create contrast without requesting a long scream over every section or copying a particular performer.
Common mistakes and useful revisions
| What to listen for | What to change in the prompt |
|---|---|
| Low instruments blur into one continuous sound | Shorten the riff notes and ask the kick and bass to reinforce selected accents. |
| The singer uses a harsher delivery than intended | Specify clean melodic lead vocals and keep that instruction consistent throughout the brief. |
Frequently asked questions
Can metal use clean vocals?
Yes. State clean melodic singing and describe its register. The guitars and drums can provide intensity while the words remain clear.
Will a prompt enforce a particular guitar tuning?
It can request a low register or a named tuning, but the recording needs independent checking if exact tuning matters. These examples focus on audible riff and arrangement choices.
How do I request heavy metal without continuous double-kick drums?
Describe a heavy guitar riff with a steady, spacious drum pattern. Reserve double-kick bursts for selected transitions, or explicitly leave them out if you want none.
