Skill: Suno Prompt Mastery

Purpose

Transform song concepts into production-quality Suno prompts that maximize musical output quality. This skill encodes deep knowledge of Suno's prompt engine, genre tags, vocal styles, and production techniques across both Simple and Custom modes.

Trigger

When a song concept is ready for creation, or when the user asks to generate a Suno prompt.

Suno Creation Modes

Simple Mode (Quick Creation)

•Character limit: ~400 characters in the description field
•How it works: Describe a vibe, scene, or emotion. Suno handles lyrics, melody, instruments, and structure.
•Format: [genre] [mood] song about [hook/theme]. [vocal style], [instruments], [production quality]
•Key insight: Everything after "about" becomes the lyrical direction Suno writes toward

Simple Mode Examples:

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Upbeat pop song about chasing midnight dreams and never looking back. Female powerful vocals, synth hooks, driving beat, studio quality, euphoric energy

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Chill acoustic folk about finding peace in a small mountain cabin. Male soft vocals, fingerpicked guitar, gentle harmonica, warm recording, intimate

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Aggressive EDM metalcore about unstoppable willpower. Male powerful vocals, heavy 808 bass, distorted synths, orchestral stabs, explosive energy, festival-ready

Simple Mode Rules:

•Describe, don't command — "upbeat pop" NOT "create an upbeat pop song"
•Use 4-7 descriptors — too few = generic, too many = confused
•Include production quality markers — "studio quality" makes a real difference
•Specify emotion precisely — "euphoric" beats "happy", "melancholic" beats "sad"
•Add decade for targeted sound — "80s synth-pop" vs just "synth pop"
•Name specific instruments — "Rhodes piano" not just "keyboard"
•The sweet spot: genre + mood + about [theme] + vocals + 2-3 instruments + production + energy

Custom Mode (Full Control)

•Style prompt: ~120 characters — sonic intent ONLY (genre, instruments, vocals, production)
•Lyrics field: Up to 3000 characters — song text with metatag structure
•Key rule: NEVER put lyrics in style field. NEVER put sonic direction in lyrics field.

Custom Mode Style Prompt Format:

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[Genre], [Sub-genre], [Vocal Style], [Key Instruments], [Production Quality], [Mood/Energy]

Style Prompt Examples:

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Tech house, minimal, filtered vocal chops, rolling bassline, hi-hats, analog warmth, 126 BPM

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J-rock, anime opening, male passionate vocals, electric guitar, drums, modern anime soundtrack

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Cinematic orchestral, no vocals, full symphony, strings, brass, war drums, film score, triumphant

Metatags (Lyrics Structure Tags)

Suno recognizes these section markers in the lyrics field:

Tag	Purpose	Notes
`[Intro]`	Opening section	Often instrumental, sets mood
`[Verse 1]` / `[Verse 2]`	Story/narrative sections	Different content each verse
`[Pre-Chorus]`	Tension builder	Short, builds to chorus
`[Chorus]`	Main hook	Repeat 2-3x throughout song
`[Bridge]`	Contrast section	Shifts energy/perspective
`[Drop]`	Electronic climax	Use for EDM/dance genres
`[Instrumental Break]`	Solo/interlude	Describe instruments wanted
`[Outro]`	Closing section	Often stripped-back or fade
`[Hook]`	Short catchy phrase	Can be used within other sections
`[Build]`	Rising energy	Leads to drop or chorus

Advanced Metatags:

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[Japanese verse, English chorus]  — Language mixing
[Spoken Word]                     — Spoken instead of sung
[Whispered]                       — Quiet, intimate delivery
[Ad-lib]                          — Improvised vocal additions
[Humming]                         — Melodic humming
[Choir]                           — Full choir enters
[a cappella]                      — Vocals only, no instruments

Suno Prompt Architecture (5-Layer System)

Every Suno prompt should contain these layers in order:

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[Genre Tags] [Vocal Style] [Instrumentation] [Production Quality] [Mood/Energy]

Example:

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Cinematic orchestral rock, female powerful vocals, soaring strings,
electric guitar crescendo, epic drums, studio quality, high energy,
anthemic, emotionally charged

Layer 1: Genre Tags (Critical)

Suno interprets genre tags as the primary routing signal. Be specific:

Intent	Bad Tag	Good Tag
Japanese rock	"rock"	"J-rock, anime opening, Japanese rock"
Club music	"electronic"	"tech house, four-on-the-floor, club-ready"
Epic orchestral	"classical"	"cinematic orchestral, film score, Hans Zimmer style"
Emotional punk	"punk"	"pop punk, symphonic punk, emotional, anthem"

Genre combo formula:

•[Base Genre], [Sub-genre], [Mood], [Era/Style]
•Example: "Drum and bass, liquid DnB, atmospheric, 2020s production"

Layer 2: Vocal Style

Be explicit about vocals. Suno defaults to generic if unspecified:

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Male Options: deep male vocals, raspy male vocals, male falsetto, male spoken word, male rap
Female Options: female ethereal vocals, female powerful vocals, female whisper vocals, female R&B vocals
Special: duet, choir, a cappella, vocoder, auto-tune, no vocals (instrumental)
Language: [Language] lyrics, multilingual

Layer 3: Instrumentation

Name specific instruments for better results:

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Strings: violin solo, cello, full orchestra, string quartet
Keys: grand piano, Rhodes, synth pad, organ
Guitar: acoustic fingerpicking, distorted electric, clean jazz guitar
Drums: 808 bass, live drums, breakbeat, drum machine, taiko
Electronic: wobble bass, arpeggiated synth, glitch, sub bass
World: koto, shamisen, tabla, djembe, oud, balalaika

Layer 4: Production Quality Markers

These significantly improve output:

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"studio quality" — cleaner mix
"professional production" — better mastering
"lo-fi" — intentional warmth
"raw, live recording" — organic feel
"polished pop production" — radio-ready
"analog warmth" — vintage character
"spatial audio" — wide stereo field
"clean mix" — separation between elements

Layer 5: Mood/Energy Descriptors

Stack 2-3 for precision:

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Energy: explosive, building, chill, hypnotic, relentless, dreamy
Mood: melancholic, euphoric, aggressive, introspective, triumphant
Vibe: night drive, sunrise, workout, meditation, festival, intimate

Lyrics Writing Guide

Best Practices

•Keep lines short — 6-10 words per line works best for vocal clarity
•Rhyme scheme matters — ABAB or AABB for memorable hooks
•Repetition in chorus — Repeat the hook line 2-3x
•Emotional arc — Verse (story) → Chorus (release) → Bridge (shift) → Final chorus (climax)
•Language mixing — Put language tag at the top: [Japanese verse, English chorus]
•Don't over-write — Leave space for the melody to breathe
•Concrete imagery — "coffee cold but the fire is burning" beats "I'm working hard"

Lyrics for Specific Genres

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Pop: Simple, universal emotions, singable melody, catchy hook
Hip Hop: Rhythmic flow, internal rhymes, wordplay, specific imagery
Rock: Raw emotion, power words, build to release
Electronic: Minimal lyrics, repeated phrases, vocoder-friendly short words
Ambient: No lyrics or spoken word only, nature references
Metal: Intense imagery, war/battle metaphors, guttural phonetics
J-Rock: Japanese verses OK, mix romaji + kanji, anime-style drama
R&B: Smooth phrasing, vulnerability, metaphors for love
World: Call and response, chanting, cultural authenticity

Suno Settings Optimization

Duration

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Short (1:30-2:00): Hooks, TikTok content, demos
Standard (2:30-3:30): Singles, streaming-optimized
Extended (3:30-5:00): Full album tracks, electronic, ambient

Version & Generation

•Suno v4/v4.5: Best for most genres, strongest vocal quality
•Remaster: Use on good drafts for polish — doesn't change structure
•Generate 3 takes minimum — Suno output varies significantly between generations
•Extend: Add sections to an existing generation. Useful for building longer tracks incrementally

Workflow Strategy

•Audition with Simple Mode — Quick test of core direction
•Refine with Custom Mode — Lock in structure, write specific lyrics
•Generate 3-5 takes — Pick best, extend if needed
•Remaster the winner — Final polish pass

Prompt Templates by Genre

Pop/Anthemic

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Uplifting pop anthem, powerful female vocals, driving beat,
synth hooks, clap percussion, studio quality, euphoric energy,
festival-ready, singalong chorus

Japanese Rock

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J-rock, anime opening style, male passionate vocals, Japanese lyrics,
electric guitar riffs, driving drums, building energy, emotional climax,
studio quality, modern anime soundtrack

Tech House

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Tech house, minimal vocal chops, rolling bassline, four-on-the-floor,
hi-hat patterns, filtered synths, club-ready, late night energy,
professional production, Ibiza style

Orchestral/Cinematic

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Cinematic orchestral, no vocals, full symphony orchestra,
building strings, epic brass, war drums, film score quality,
Hans Zimmer inspired, emotionally overwhelming, triumphant climax

Hip Hop

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Modern hip hop, male confident vocals, trap hi-hats, 808 bass,
melodic flow, atmospheric pads, professional mix,
late night studio energy, introspective but powerful

R&B / Soul

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Smooth R&B soul, female warm vocals, Rhodes piano, soft bass,
brushed drums, studio quality, intimate atmosphere,
late night mood, vulnerable and honest

Ambient / Healing

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Ambient healing music, 528Hz frequency undertone, crystal singing bowls,
soft synth pads, gentle piano, nature sounds, no vocals,
spatial audio, wide stereo, meditative

Afrobeat / World

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Afrobeat world fusion, call and response vocals, djembe, kora,
talking drum, bass guitar, organic live feel, warm mix,
uplifting community energy

Drum & Bass

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Drum and bass, liquid DnB, female ethereal vocals, rolling breakbeat,
deep sub bass, synth pads, professional production, wide stereo,
atmospheric, emotional

Latin Tech House

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Latin tech house, dembow rhythm, Spanish male vocals, Latin percussion,
synth bass, congas, club-ready, professional mix, punchy, sensual

Quality Checklist

Before sending ANY prompt to Suno:

• Genre tags are specific (not generic)
• Vocal style explicitly stated (or "no vocals" for instrumental)
• At least 2 instruments named
• Production quality marker included
• Mood/energy descriptors present (2-3)
• Duration is appropriate for genre
• If lyrics: structure tags used, lines are short (6-10 words)
• If Custom Mode: style and lyrics are SEPARATED (not mixed)

Common Mistakes

•"Make a cool song" → Too vague, Suno outputs generic pop
•Putting lyrics in the style prompt → Keep fields separated
•Using 10+ genre tags → Suno gets confused, max 4-5
•No vocal specification → Random vocal quality
•Forgetting "studio quality" → Noticeably worse mix
•Long complex sentences in lyrics → Short punchy lines work better
•No section tags in Custom Mode → Suno doesn't know where chorus starts
•Commanding instead of describing → "An upbeat track" not "Create an upbeat track"