Specifying Chord Progressions in Suno AI: A Practical Guide
Frustrated when Suno AI sings your chord names instead of playing them? This guide offers practical techniques to gain control. Learn how to use Custom Mode to isolate musical instructions, explicitly label your chord progressions, and use mood descriptors to influence the key. Master these strategies to guide Suno in creating music with the exact harmonic structure you envision, moving beyond lyrical misinterpretations.
Have you ever tried to create an instrumental track in Suno with a specific chord progression, like a trance song in A minor using Am - F - G - Em? If so, you might have encountered a common frustration: the AI sings the names of the chords—"A minor, F, G, E minor"—instead of actually playing them.
This happens because Suno sometimes struggles to distinguish between musical instructions and lyrical content. But don't worry, you can guide it. With a few strategic prompting techniques, you can significantly increase the chances of Suno following your intended harmony.
The Core Technique: Use Custom Mode
The most effective way to specify chords is by separating your instructions. Use Suno's Custom Mode to isolate the chords in the Lyrics box while defining the genre and feel in the Style of Music box.
By keeping the lyrics section dedicated to just the chords, you clearly signal to the AI that these are musical building blocks, not words to be sung.
Example Prompt:
- Style of Music:
instrumental trance in A minor, atmospheric, driving beat - Lyrics:
[Am] [F] [G] [Em]
This separation helps the AI focus on interpreting [Am] [F] [G] [Em] as a harmonic sequence for the specified style.
Advanced Strategies for Better Results
If the basic method isn't enough, try these more advanced tactics to refine your prompts.
1. Explicitly Label the Progression
Sometimes, being direct helps. Prefix your sequence with a clear label to remove any ambiguity for the AI.
Example:
In the Lyrics box of Custom Mode, write:
Chord progression: [Am] [F] [G] [Em]
This prompt explicitly tells the AI that what follows is a chord progression, which can improve its accuracy in applying the chords musically.
2. Guide the AI with Mood and Key
You can also influence the harmony indirectly by linking musical keys to descriptive moods. Suno has strong associations between certain moods and scales.
- For minor keys, use words like
sad,melancholic,dark, orsomber. - For major keys, try
happy,uplifting,bright, orjoyful.
Example Prompt:
- Style of Music:
sad emotional piano ballad, cinematic - Lyrics:
[Cm] [G#] [A#] [Gm]
Here, the word "sad" reinforces the choice of a minor key, nudging the AI toward the intended harmonic feel.
Key Takeaways for Success
- Isolate and Specify: Always use Custom Mode to separate your style from your chord instructions.
- Embrace Experimentation: The AI's musical interpretation is still evolving. It may take several generations and slight tweaks to your prompt to get the perfect result. Don't be afraid to click "Generate" a few times.
- Be Clear and Concise: While you can be specific, avoid overly complex instructions. Clear, distinct commands yield better results than verbose paragraphs.
By implementing these strategies, you can move beyond frustrating misinterpretations and start composing with greater harmonic control in Suno AI.