Nu metal prompts work best when the guitar riff and drum groove have a clear relationship. Choose a low, clipped riff, decide where the bass should answer it and describe how the vocal changes between sections. Rapped verses, whispered phrases and shouted hooks are different choices, not requirements to include all at once. These ten examples explore different balances of rhythm, melody and texture without naming an existing band or copying a familiar song.
Starting points in this collection
| Example tempo targets | 86 to 106 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.
A low riff with a spoken verse
Nu metal, 94 BPM. Build a short low guitar figure with a firm kick and a dry snare, leaving a rest at the end of each phrase. Let a rhythmically spoken lead tell an original story about resisting pressure, then change to a short shouted hook with fewer words. Keep the bass close to the important guitar accents. Use a small scratch-like texture only in the gaps, then finish with the opening riff and a clear band stop.
Bass answers the guitar
Nu metal, 90 BPM. Instrumental only. Use a clipped low guitar pattern followed by a short bass answer, keeping the two parts from filling every beat together. Place a clear snare behind the exchange and add restrained closed hats rather than continuous cymbal crashes. Let the guitar rest for a bass-and-drum passage before returning with a higher answering note. Keep the central groove recognisable through the change, and close with one final exchange followed by a deliberate stop.
A sung hook over simpler chords
Nu metal, 100 BPM. Set a tight palm-muted verse riff over a firm backbeat and a low bass pulse. Use an original rapped verse about leaving an old habit behind, then move into a clear sung chorus over longer guitar chords. Keep the chorus drum pattern simple so the melody remains audible. Bring the clipped riff back between vocal lines instead of underneath every word. After a brief bass-led bridge, repeat the hook and end on its resolved chord.
A quiet verse with a heavy answer
Nu metal, 86 BPM. Begin with a restrained clean guitar pulse and a close, quiet vocal using original words about feeling unheard. Let the bass and kick enter before the distorted riff answers the verse. Keep the heavier chorus focused on one repeated vocal phrase rather than several overlapping layers. Reduce to voice and bass for the bridge, then bring back the low riff with wider gaps. Finish on a quiet guitar phrase after the last full-band hit.
A dry mechanical rhythm
Nu metal, 98 BPM. Instrumental only. Pair a short low guitar riff with a dry electronic drum pattern and a bass line that follows only its strongest accents. Add a clipped synth stab as a reply rather than a constant pad. Let a few live tom hits interrupt the mechanical texture before returning to the opening pattern. Avoid stacking several distorted low sounds at once. End by removing the synth first, leaving a final guitar-and-drum phrase with an abrupt joint stop.
A hook answered by the band
Nu metal, 104 BPM. Use a low syncopated guitar riff, rounded bass and a punchy kick-and-snare groove. Write original short vocal lines about refusing to give up, with the band answering each phrase through the main riff. Let a small group shout the final words of the chorus, leaving the lead clear at the start of each line. Thin the rhythm under a brief spoken bridge, then return the same hook and finish on its last instrumental answer.
A high texture above the low groove
Nu metal, 92 BPM. Instrumental only. Anchor the arrangement with a short low guitar figure and a steady backbeat, then place a thin high guitar texture in the spaces around it. Let the bass reinforce the riff without adding a second busy low melody. Keep the texture quiet while the drums are full, bringing it forward only during a bass-free middle passage. Return the low riff underneath the same texture, and close by letting the high sound fade after the band stops.
Short rap phrases and open drums
Nu metal, 106 BPM. Place short original rapped phrases over an open kick-and-snare pattern, supported by a clipped guitar motif and a restrained bass pulse. Leave the end of each vocal line free for a brief drum or guitar response. Use a shouted chorus with a simpler repeated rhythm rather than a dense second verse. Reduce the guitar during a percussion-led bridge, then bring the main motif back for the final hook and a clean final hit.
A half-time middle passage
Nu metal, 102 BPM. Instrumental only. Establish a low palm-muted guitar riff with a steady snare and bass following the main accents. Keep the opening direct and avoid a long atmospheric introduction. For the middle passage, hold the same BPM but move the drums into a half-time feel and reduce the number of guitar attacks. Let silence make the riff feel heavier. Return briefly to the original drum feel before closing with a sparse version of the main figure.
A restrained vocal that grows firmer
Nu metal, 88 BPM. Use a muted guitar pulse, low bass and restrained drums beneath a softly delivered original verse about confronting a difficult memory. Make the next verse more rhythmic and let the chorus use a firm sung line instead of immediately adding screams. Bring in the distorted riff only when that hook arrives, with clear gaps around the vocal. Pull the drums back for the final phrase, then answer it once with the riff and stop.
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.
Make the low riff a rhythm, not a wall of sound
Describe the attacks and pauses in the riff. A low guitar can leave a gap after a short repeated figure while the bass or snare supplies the answer. Ask the kick to reinforce selected guitar accents rather than follow every note. A brief electronic texture or scratch-like accent can add contrast, but it should not obscure the main groove. If the first result feels blurred, reduce the number of low layers and shorten the guitar sustain before asking for more distortion.
Give the verse and hook different jobs
A rhythmic verse can use short spoken or rapped phrases while the hook opens into a sung line or a repeated shout. Describe which delivery belongs where and simplify the backing when the melody needs room. A heavy instrumental can use the same contrast through a change of guitar register or a bass-led passage. Keep the tempo consistent if you only want a heavier half-time feel. Exact transitions are directions to evaluate in a new recording, not edits to a finished song.
Common mistakes and useful revisions
| What to listen for | What to change in the prompt |
|---|---|
| The low guitar, bass and electronic layer cover the drum groove | Keep one main low riff, shorten the bass notes and put texture accents in the gaps between vocal phrases. |
| The verse and chorus use every vocal style at once | Choose one delivery for the verse and one contrasting hook, then leave space for each to be heard. |
Frequently asked questions
Does a nu metal prompt have to include rap vocals?
No. Rapped or rhythmically spoken verses are one option. You can use a sung lead, a whispered verse, shouted phrases or an entirely instrumental arrangement. State the vocal choice clearly instead of treating every feature associated with the style as mandatory.
How can I ask for a heavy groove without copying a band?
Describe the musical parts: a short low guitar figure, a firm kick and snare, a bass response and the spaces between them. Add a vocal contrast or a restrained electronic texture if it serves the song. Avoid an existing riff, melody, lyric or named singer as the instruction.
Should the chorus be faster than the verse?
It does not need to be. A more open guitar part, a different snare feel or a longer vocal melody can change the energy at the same BPM. Use one tempo for a stable groove and describe the section contrast separately.
