Song Composition for Suno AI
Targets current Suno models (v5/v5.5). Where v5.5 behavior is unverified, guidance says so and hedges rather than guessing.
Creative Engine Role
Act as a songwriter first, not a rule-follower. The references in this skill are a creative palette — inspiration, not prescription.
| Reference | Use it as... | NOT as... | |-----------|--------------|-----------| | Artist profiles | Vibe inspiration | Exact tag lookup | | Genre conventions | Starting points | Rigid rules | | Metatags | Toolkit of options | Required checklist | | Tier presets | Creative directions | Auto-apply templates |
Creative latitude: Blend genres unexpectedly. Interpret "like [artist]" through artistic essence, not exact specs. Break conventions when the song calls for it. The Composition Rubric below is the floor (craft that must hold), never the ceiling (taste stays yours).
Style Prompts — Dual Form
Suno v5.5 guidance favors modular descriptor lists; this plugin's narrative form was
first-party-tested on v5 and is unverified on v5.5. Until a live A/B settles it,
output BOTH forms for every song (the style-prompt form preference can pin one):
Modular — label it "try first": 4-7 weighted descriptors in this order — genre+subgenre · mood/energy · vocal direction · key instruments · production/tempo. One clear genre anchor; no near-synonym stacking.
gothic symphonic metal, doujin style, dramatic and tragic, dual female vocals
in dialogue with soaring harmonies, harpsichord pipe organ strings and
double-kick drums, polished cathedral-reverb production at 172 bpm
Narrative — label it "fallback if the arrangement feels flat": prose describing how the song unfolds in time ("opens with… enters… builds through… resolves into"). Its v5-tested strength is temporal arrangement control. Weave the emotion arc into the narrative; don't append it.
Rules that apply to both forms:
- Top-anchor: lead with the vocal persona (…warm female vocals with melismatic ornamentation…) — UNLESS a Suno Voice/Persona/Custom Model is attached, in which case omit vocal descriptors entirely (they conflict with the attached voice).
- Single genre anchor — one clear genre reference, not a pile of cousins.
- Exclusions go in Suno's Exclude (Styles) field, not the style text: ≤2
entries, each paired with a replacement ("no lead guitar solo — fingerpicked
acoustic instead"). See
references/suno-metatags.md.
Arrangement precision lives in the lyrics field via parameterized section tags (next section), not in the style prompt.
Metatags in Lyrics
Suno reads embedded directions in the lyrics field. Tag sparsely: 3-4 inflection points per song. Most sections get only the bare marker — verse/chorus structure already creates contrast.
Current syntax is parameterized section tags: [Bridge: stripped, harpsichord and voice], [Final Chorus: key change up]. The adjacent-bracket form
([Bridge][stripped]) is legacy-valid.
| Moment | Purpose | Example |
|--------|---------|---------|
| Intro | Set opening texture | [Intro: music box and choir, then full band] |
| Breakdown/Bridge | Contrast point | [Bridge: stripped, half-time] |
| Build | Pre-climax tension | [Build], [Build: snare roll] |
| Final Chorus | Earned peak | [Final Chorus: key change up] |
Use technique cues (stripped, half-time, key change up) not emotion
words (triumphant, intimate). Vocal technique tags (whisper, belting,
falsetto) are the exception — they describe HOW to sing. A [Break] or blank
line before the climax buys tension through silence.
Paste-clean contract: the Lyrics block contains ONLY what Suno should sing or
obey — no kana counts, no voice arrows, no notes-to-self. Parentheticals in lyrics
are SUNG as ad-libs. All craft metadata (voice map, reading declarations, mora
counts) lives in the Readings & Casting block of the output format
(references/output-formats.md).
Lyric Writing
English: target 6-10 syllables per line; line breaks = musical breaths.
Japanese: count morae, not syllables (月光 = げっこう = 4 morae). Hook
lines 10-14 morae, verse lines 9-14, parallel-couplet hemistichs 3-8; held notes
land on open or long vowels; register devices for literary subjects. Full rules:
references/japanese-prosody.md — consult it before writing any Japanese lyric.
Mixed language: switch at phrase boundaries; English hooks suit mainstream/idol/anisong registers, not doujin/literary ones.
See references/suno-metatags.md for ad-libs, punctuation cues, and vowel
elongation.
Composition Rubric (the floor — lyric-critic enforces this)
Checkability tiers: [M]echanical / [S]tructural violations are findings; [J]udgment concerns are advisory only — taste is not agent-verifiable.
- [S] Voice casting — duet/dual vocal config ⇒ the lyric assigns voices (dialogue verses, unison/harmony chorus, descant or trade-off finale), recorded in Readings & Casting.
- [M] Prosody — line counts within the targets above, counted against DECLARED readings; section-peak held notes on open/long vowels.
- [S] Register — literary/gothic/historical subject ⇒ ≥2 register devices.
Japanese devices:
references/japanese-prosody.md. English: archaic pronouns, latinate diction, syntactic inversion. - [S] Imagery system — one concrete image system from the subject's lexicon; stock-word cap per register (strict for doujin/literary/gothic, advisory for mainstream/idol/anisong; pronouns exempt — see japanese-prosody.md).
- [S] Thesis presence — the chorus contains one candidate line carrying the song's emotional argument. [J] Whether it lands concretely is advisory.
- [M] Hook anchor — title or hook phrase opens or closes the chorus.
- [M] Tags — 3-4 parameterized inflection points, technique cues only.
- [M] Style prompt — both forms present (or preference-pinned single form); vocal descriptors absent when a Voice is attached; ≤2 Exclude entries with replacements; Lyrics block paste-clean.
Quality bar in action: references/examples/gothic-doujin-song.md (every rubric
item annotated).
Genre Conventions
Springboards, not rules. Blend and break as the song demands.
| Genre | Key Elements | Common Tags | |-------|--------------|-------------| | J-pop | Catchy hooks, key changes, electronic+acoustic | j-pop, catchy melody, anime | | Doujin | Electronic, 140-180 BPM, dramatic shifts | vocaloid style, fast tempo | | Ballad | 60-90 BPM, piano/guitar lead, emotional | ballad, piano, heartfelt | | Rock | Guitar-driven, powerful vocals | j-rock, electric guitar | | EDM | Build-drop patterns, synth-led | edm, electronic, dance | | K-pop | Polished, genre-blending | k-pop, polished, hook-driven | | Latin | Distinctive rhythms, Spanish/Portuguese | latin, reggaeton, tropical |
For subgenre depth and the romanized phrase banks, see
references/genre-deep-dive.md. Song structure templates:
references/song-structures.md.
Mood-to-Style Mapping
| Mood | Tempo | Tags | |------|-------|------| | Upbeat | 120-140 | energetic, bright, cheerful | | Melancholic | 70-90 | sad, emotional, bittersweet | | Energetic | 140-170 | driving, intense, anthemic | | Dreamy | 80-100 | atmospheric, ethereal, floating | | Intense | 130-160 | dramatic, dark, cinematic | | Chill | 85-110 | relaxed, smooth, laid-back |
Tempo Guidelines
| Style | BPM Range | Feel | |-------|-----------|------| | Slow ballad | 60-75 | Intimate, emotional | | Mid-tempo ballad | 75-95 | Flowing, expressive | | Pop standard | 100-120 | Comfortable, catchy | | Dance pop | 120-135 | Energetic, groovy | | Fast pop/rock | 135-160 | Driving, exciting | | High energy | 160-180 | Intense, powerful |
Vocal tag vocabulary (female/male/special/tone/effects):
references/suno-metatags.md.
Reference-Based Composition
When a user says "like YOASOBI" or "in the style of Aimer", capture the artist's essence — creative spirit, emotional signature, sonic identity — not exact specifications. Ask: what FEELING does this artist evoke? What makes them recognizable?
For technical grounding, consult references/artist-profiles.md (profiles tagged
by tier, including Register: lines for lyric-register matching). The profile
gives ingredients; you decide the recipe. If the profile lists a dual/duet vocal
configuration, write FOR it — rubric item 1.
For unknown artists: interpret from what you know and capture the requested spirit.
J-pop Tier Presets
Ecosystem-level presets instead of specific artists:
| Tier | Keywords | Sound |
|------|----------|-------|
| Anisong | anisong, anime | Anime OP/ED - dramatic, catchy, high energy |
| Surface | surface, viral | Producer scene - complex, narrative, layered |
| Mainstream | mainstream, normie | Radio-friendly - accessible, sing-along |
| Doujin | doujin, touhou | Convention - high production, niche genres |
| Legacy | legacy, city pop | Golden age - warm analog sound |
Combine with artists: /suno anisong like Aimer uses tier structure + artist
style. Tier presets are ingredient lists — render them through the dual-form
style prompt rules above. Full profiles and merge logic:
references/jpop-tiers.md.
Professional Songwriter Techniques
Hook-First: design the chorus hook before the verses that build to it. Tension & Release: Verse (low) → Pre-Chorus (building) → Chorus (peak) → Post-Chorus (release). Three-Element Arrangement: A (melody), B (counter-melody), C (rhythm). Verse: A+C. Chorus: A+B+C. Bridge: B+C.
Details and exercises: references/pro-techniques.md.
Output Formats
All output templates — including the Readings & Casting craft block and the
dual-form style prompt slots — live in references/output-formats.md.
Additional Resources
references/output-formats.md- Song/album/variation templates, craft blockreferences/suno-metatags.md- Metatags, parameterized tags, Exclude field, formattingreferences/japanese-prosody.md- Mora rules, register devices, stock-word listreferences/song-structures.md- Standard pop, anime, ballad structuresreferences/pro-techniques.md- Hook-first, tension/release, arrangementreferences/genre-deep-dive.md- Subgenre conventions and phrase banksreferences/artist-profiles.md- Artist profiles for reference-based compositionreferences/jpop-tiers.md- Anisong, surface, mainstream, doujin tiersreferences/album-composition.md- Album arc patterns and track rolesreferences/variation-patterns.md- Transformation matrices for variationsreferences/continuation-patterns.md- Callback techniques for extensionsreferences/examples/gothic-doujin-song.md- Annotated quality-bar exemplarreferences/troubleshooting.md- Common issues, causes, and fixes