acestep-songwriting

name acestep-songwriting description Music songwriting guide for ACE-Step. Provides professional knowledge on writing captions, lyrics, choosing BPM/key/duration, and structuring songs. Use this skill when users want to create, write, or plan a song before generating it with ACE-Step. allowed-tools Read ACE-Step Songwriting Guide Professional music creation knowledge for writing captions, lyrics, and choosing music parameters for ACE-Step. Output Format After using this guide, produce two things for the acestep skill: Caption ( -c ): Style/genre/instruments/emotion description Lyrics ( -l ): Complete structured lyrics with tags Parameters : --duration , --bpm , --key , --time-signature , --language Caption: The Most Important Input Caption is the most important factor affecting generated music. Supports multiple formats: simple style words, comma-separated tags, complex natural language descriptions. Common Dimensions Dimension Examples Style/Genre pop, rock, jazz, electronic, hip-hop, R&B, folk, classical, lo-fi, synthwave Emotion/Atmosphere melancholic, uplifting, energetic, dreamy, dark, nostalgic, euphoric, intimate Instruments acoustic guitar, piano, synth pads, 808 drums, strings, brass, electric bass Timbre Texture warm, bright, crisp, muddy, airy, punchy, lush, raw, polished Era Reference 80s synth-pop, 90s grunge, 2010s EDM, vintage soul, modern trap Production Style lo-fi, high-fidelity, live recording, studio-polished, bedroom pop Vocal Characteristics female vocal, male vocal, breathy, powerful, falsetto, raspy, choir Speed/Rhythm slow tempo, mid-tempo, fast-paced, groovy, driving, laid-back Structure Hints building intro, catchy chorus, dramatic bridge, fade-out ending Caption Writing Principles Specific beats vague — "sad piano ballad with female breathy vocal" > "a sad song" Combine multiple dimensions — style+emotion+instruments+timbre anchors direction precisely Use references well — "in the style of 80s synthwave" conveys complex aesthetic quickly Texture words are useful — warm, crisp, airy, punchy influence mixing and timbre Don't pursue perfection — Caption is a starting point, iterate based on results Granularity determines freedom — Less detail = more model creativity; more detail = more control Avoid conflicting words — "classical strings" + "hardcore metal" degrades output Fix: Repetition reinforcement — Repeat the elements you want more Fix: Conflict to evolution — "Start with soft strings, middle becomes metal rock, end turns to hip-hop" Don't put BPM/key/tempo in Caption — Use dedicated parameters instead Lyrics: The Temporal Script Lyrics controls how music unfolds over time. It carries: Lyric text itself Structure tags ([Verse], [Chorus], [Bridge]...) Vocal style hints ([raspy vocal], [whispered]...) Instrumental sections ([guitar solo], [drum break]...) Energy changes ([building energy], [explosive drop]...) Structure Tags Category Tag Description Basic Structure [Intro] Opening, establish atmosphere [Verse] / [Verse 1] Verse, narrative progression [Pre-Chorus] Pre-chorus, build energy [Chorus] Chorus, emotional climax [Bridge] Bridge, transition or elevation [Outro] Ending, conclusion Dynamic Sections [Build] Energy gradually rising [Drop] Electronic music energy release [Breakdown] Reduced instrumentation, space Instrumental [Instrumental] Pure instrumental, no vocals [Guitar Solo] Guitar solo [Piano Interlude] Piano interlude Special [Fade Out] Fade out ending [Silence] Silence Combining Tags Use - for finer control, but keep it concise: ✅ [Chorus - anthemic] ❌ [Chorus - anthemic - stacked harmonies - high energy - powerful - epic] Put complex style descriptions in Caption, not in tags. Caption-Lyrics Consistency Models are not good at resolving conflicts. Checklist: Instruments in Caption ↔ Instrumental section tags in Lyrics Emotion in Caption ↔ Energy tags in Lyrics Vocal description in Caption ↔ Vocal control tags in Lyrics Vocal Control Tags Tag Effect [raspy vocal] Raspy, textured vocals [whispered] Whispered [falsetto] Falsetto [powerful belting] Powerful, high-pitched singing [spoken word] Rap/recitation [harmonies] Layered harmonies [call and response] Call and response [ad-lib] Improvised embellishments Energy and Emotion Tags Tag Effect [high energy] High energy, passionate [low energy] Low energy, restrained [building energy] Increasing energy [explosive] Explosive energy [melancholic] Melancholic [euphoric] Euphoric [dreamy] Dreamy [aggressive] Aggressive Lyric Writing Tips 6-10 syllables per line — Model aligns syllables to beats; keep similar counts for lines in same position (±1-2) Uppercase = stronger intensity — WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! (shouting) vs walking through the streets (normal) Parentheses = background vocals — We rise together (together) Extend vowels — Feeeling so aliiive (use cautiously, effects unstable) Clear section separation — Blank lines between sections Avoiding "AI-flavored" Lyrics Red Flag Description Adjective stacking "neon skies, electric hearts, endless dreams" — vague imagery filler Rhyme chaos Inconsistent patterns or forced rhymes breaking meaning Blurred boundaries Lyric content crosses structure tags No breathing room Lines too long to sing in one breath Mixed metaphors Water → fire → flying — listeners can't anchor Metaphor discipline : One core metaphor per song, explore its multiple aspects. Music Metadata Most of the time, let LM auto-infer. Only set manually when you have clear requirements. Parameter Range Description bpm 30–300 Slow 60–80, mid 90–120, fast 130–180 keyscale Key e.g. C Major , Am . Common keys (C, G, D, Am, Em) most stable timesignature Time sig 4/4 (most common), 3/4 (waltz), 6/8 (swing) vocal_language Language Usually auto-detected from lyrics duration Seconds See duration calculation below When to Set Manually Scenario Set Daily generation Let LM auto-infer Clear tempo requirement bpm Specific style (waltz) timesignature=3/4 Match other material bpm + duration Specific key color keyscale Duration Calculation Estimation Method Intro/Outro : 5-10 seconds each Instrumental sections : 5-15 seconds each Typical structures : 2 verses + 2 choruses: 120-150s minimum 2 verses + 2 choruses + bridge: 180-240s minimum Full song with intro/outro: 210-270s (3.5-4.5 min) BPM and Duration Relationship Slower BPM (60-80) : Need MORE duration for same lyrics Medium BPM (100-130) : Standard duration Faster BPM (150-180) : Can fit more lyrics, but still need breathing room Rule of thumb : When in doubt, estimate longer. A song too short feels rushed. Note: Lyrics tags (piano, powerful, whispered) are consistent with Caption (piano ballad, building to powerful chorus, intimate).