Song Forge Tutorial

Masters Radio's AI-Assisted Songwriting System

"That is now a production specification. Not a guess."
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Overview

Song Forge is Masters Radio's AI-assisted songwriting system. It uses a structured prompt-building process to generate music via ElevenLabs. The workbook serves as both a reference library and a prompt assembly guide. The user selects components from curated lists and combines them into a production specification that controls the AI output.

Core philosophy: "That is now a production specification. Not a guess."

The system produces a cohesive catalog sound by constraining AI output through precise musical language rather than vague descriptions.

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Process Flow

Select Theme
Themes sheet: 375+ themes across 35 sections
Select Genre Lane
Genre Lane Library: 48 lanes across 10 groups
Match Forge Style
138 coded styles with BPM, chord prog, emotional mode, texture words, avoid words, prompt keywords
Set Core Identity
Genre Lane + Tempo + Key/Mode + Emotional Tone + Production Feel
Select Instrument Blocks
One each: Vocal, Guitar (1-2 max), Bass, Drum, Keys/Texture
Build Production Field
One from each: Arrangement Density, Stereo Image, Dynamic Behavior, Era Polish Level
Assemble Final Prompt
Combine all selections into a single paragraph specification
Apply Vocal Cleanup
If needed: 3 fix options for vocal mix issues
Submit to ElevenLabs
Your production spec is ready for AI generation
1

Choose a Theme

375+ themes across 35 sections (emotional/conceptual buckets). Themes provide the lyrical and emotional foundation for each song.

Theme Rules:

  • Themes live inside Sections (broad emotional/conceptual buckets)
  • Theme text is immutable: once written, never rewritten
  • Status: available / used / featured
  • If a rule interferes with writing or instinct, the rule loses
  • Each theme has a Forge Style Match code (e.g., M6, R15)

Theme Sections (35 total)

Love (All the Angles) Rock & Anthemic Energy Heartbreak & Loss Modern Life & Isolation Dreamlike & Cinematic Americana / Crossover Country Rebellion & Freedom Growing Up & Youth Road & Travel Night & Darkness Memory & Nostalgia Social Commentary Faith & Spirituality Survival & Resilience Joy & Celebration Nature & Landscape Work & Ambition Family & Home Addiction & Recovery Identity & Self-Discovery Mystery & Intrigue Power & Authority Loneliness & Solitude Hope & Renewal Anger & Frustration Fantasy & Imagination Time & Mortality Desire & Passion Connection & Community Urban Life Regret & Redemption Weather & Seasons Dance & Movement Technology & Future Small Town Stories
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Choose a Genre Lane

48 lanes across 10 groups. Each lane defines the sonic character and production approach for your song.

Rock Core (1-10)
1 Clean Swing Rock 2 Blue Collar Pub Rock 3 Arena Anthem Rock 4 Heartland Story Rock 5 Classic 70s Groove Rock 6 80s Female Power Rock 7 Horn Driven Pop Rock 8 Blues Rock Grit 9 Post Grunge Anthem 10 Modern Alternative Rock
Indie / Alt (11-18)
11 Indie Jangle Rock 12 Fuzzy Garage Alt 13 Atmospheric Alt Rock 14 Minimalist Indie Pulse 15 Britpop Drive 16 Art Rock Angular 17 New Wave Edge 18 Synth Driven Indie Rock
Folk / Americana (19-24)
19 Uplifting Folk Rock 20 Reflective Americana Piano 21 Acoustic Confessional 22 Roots Rock Groove 23 Celtic Folk Lift 24 Campfire Harmony Folk
Mystic / Atmospheric (25-29)
25 Mystical Desert Rock 26 Modal Dream Rock 27 Hypnotic Groove Rock 28 Spiritual Folk Ambient 29 Cinematic Minimal Rock
Pop Structure (30-35)
30 80s Polished Pop Rock 31 Power Pop Drive 32 Modern Hook Pop Rock 33 Retro Girl Group Pop 34 Funk Pop Groove 35 Blue Eyed Soul Pop
Soul / R&B / Groove (36-40)
36 Classic Soul Groove 37 Funk Rock Pocket 38 Gospel Soul Lift 39 Smooth Soul Ballad 40 Rhythm Driven Pop Funk
Country Adjacent (41-44)
41 Modern Country Rock 42 Country Soul Rock 43 Outlaw Edge Rock 44 Crossover Arena Country
Heavier (45-48)
45 Tight Modern Hard Rock 46 Melodic Metal Edge 47 Dark Alternative Rock 48 Industrial Groove Rock
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Match to a Forge Song Style

138 coded styles. Each style provides a complete set of musical parameters: BPM range, chord progression, emotional mode, texture words, avoid words, and prompt keywords. Use the search and filter controls to find the right style for your song.

Code Genre BPM Chord Progression Emotional Mode Texture Words Avoid Prompt Keywords

Style code prefixes: R = Rock (R1-R20), E = Electronic (E1-E18), P = Piano (P1-P17), M = Folk/Americana (M1-M17), N = New Wave/Punk (N1-N17), B = Blues (B1-B15), X = Experimental/Alt (X1-X9), S = Soul/R&B (S1-S6), A = Adult/Pop (A1-A5), G = Global (G1-G4), H = Hip Hop (H1-H9)

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Set Core Identity

With your Genre Lane and Forge Style selected, define the core identity of the song. This is the foundation that everything else builds on.

Format: [Genre Lane], [BPM], [Key or Mode]

Plus: Emotional Tone and Production Feel (drawn from your Forge Style match)

Example: "Clean Swing Rock, 104 BPM, E major, warm and confident, organic live room feel"
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Select Instrument Blocks

Choose one block from each instrument category. For guitars, you may select up to two. Each block is a precise production specification that tells the AI exactly what to generate.

Vocal Styles (choose 1)

1. Chest Driven Rasp
"Chest forward vocal tone with light rasp and emotional grit."
2. Conversational Phrasing
"Rhythmic conversational vocal delivery with subtle melodic lift."
3. Ethereal Air
"Airy reverb soaked vocal with restrained vibrato and sustained phrasing."
4. Anthem Belt
"Strong controlled belt with dynamic rise into chorus."
5. Layered Choir Stack
"Stacked vocal harmonies in thirds and sixths with wide stereo presence."

Guitar Styles (choose 1-2 max)

1. Glass Clean Arpeggio
"Clean shimmering arpeggiated electric guitar with light compression and subtle delay, high clarity, wide stereo spread, using open voicings and added 9th color tones."
Use for: emotional lift, intros, vulnerable verses
2. Detuned Wall Crunch
"Low tuned distorted rhythm guitars with thick midrange, tight palm muting, minimal reverb, emphasizing minor pentatonic and flattened 5th tones."
Use for: tension, heavier builds
3. Chorus Washed Clean
"Chorus effect clean electric guitar with subtle modulation, bright but controlled, playing suspended 2nd and 4th voicings for lift."
Use for: nostalgic pop rock
4. Octave Lead Hook
"Octave doubled melodic guitar lead, clean but punchy, hook driven, using major pentatonic phrasing and sliding interval accents."
Use for: signature riff songs
5. Fuzzy Garage Bite
"Raw fuzzy rhythm guitar with light breakup, minimal polish, loose minor pentatonic phrasing with slight rhythmic push."
Use for: indie, alt
6. Staccato Syncopated Chop
"Muted syncopated electric guitar with tight rhythmic stabs, percussive 9th chord accents, clean attack."
Use for: groove driven pop
7. Reverse Swell Texture
"Volume swell electric guitar texture with slow attack, sustaining open fifths and suspended intervals, atmospheric but restrained."
Use for: intro builds
8. Harmonized Dual Lead
"Layered harmonized dual lead guitars in thirds and sixths, sustained melodic phrasing with controlled vibrato."
Use for: arena lift
9. Palm Muted Drive Riff
"Tight palm muted driving electric guitar riff with precise attack, emphasizing root to flat 7 movement for tension."
Use for: verse propulsion
10. Sparse Single Note Line
"Minimal single note electric guitar line with dry tone, spacious phrasing, subtle blues inflections."
Use for: tension and space

Bass Styles (choose 1)

1. Walking Melodic
"Melodic walking bass line outlining chord tones with passing 6th and flat 7 movement, warm tone, supportive but expressive."
Use for: groove driven rock, classic rock
2. Locked Root Drive
"Tight bass locked to kick drum, strong root note emphasis with occasional octave jumps, punchy low end."
Use for: arena rock, anthem build
3. Syncopated Funk Pocket
"Syncopated bass groove using 9th and flat 7 accents, tight pocket with rhythmic space."
Use for: groove pop, funk rock
4. Pedal Tone Undercurrent
"Low sustained pedal tone bass with subtle movement, creating hypnotic foundation."
Use for: mystical, atmospheric
5. Sparse Cinematic Pulse
"Minimal low frequency bass pulse with restrained movement, spacious tone."
Use for: tension builds

Drum Styles (choose 1)

1. Straight Arena Drive
"Punchy live drums with strong snare on two and four, controlled cymbal wash, steady kick."
2. Laid Back Pocket
"Laid back drum groove with slight swing feel, restrained hi hat, deep snare tone."
3. Funk Tight Snap
"Tight snare crack, syncopated hi hat accents, precise kick pattern."
4. Tribal Frame Pulse
"Hand percussion driven groove with frame drum pulse and minimal cymbals."
5. Build and Release Lift
"Dynamic drum build with tom accents leading into open crash cymbal chorus lift."

Keys/Texture Styles (choose 1)

1. Rolling Left Hand Groove
"Rhythmic left hand piano pattern with open voicing chords and added 9ths."
2. Suspended Lift Texture
"Bright piano voicings using suspended 2nd and 4th intervals for harmonic lift."
3. Gospel Soul Undercurrent
"Warm piano with expressive chord extensions and subtle rhythmic push."
4. Minimalist Motif
"Repetitive piano motif with spacious voicing and restrained dynamics."
5. Atmospheric Pad Blend
"Subtle organ or pad layer supporting extended chord tones without dominating."
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Build the Production Field

Select one option from each of the four production categories. These define how the final mix sounds.

Arrangement Density

Sparse and spacious Mid density live band Layered but controlled Full wall of sound Minimalist groove focused

Stereo Image

Wide stereo spread with space between instruments Centered tight mix with punch Natural room feel Vintage narrow field Modern wide with subtle ambience

Dynamic Behavior

Strong verse to chorus lift Gradual slow build Explosive final chorus Controlled dynamics throughout Drop before final chorus

Era Polish Level

Raw and organic Polished 80s sheen Warm analog feel Clean modern clarity Gritty live room energy

Example Production Field Assemblies

Dire Straits lane

"Spacious mid density live band, wide stereo spread with space between instruments, gradual dynamic lift, warm analog feel."

Pat Benatar lane

"Mid density live band, centered punchy mix, strong verse to chorus lift, polished 80s sheen."

Plant mystic lane

"Sparse and spacious arrangement, natural room feel with atmospheric width, gradual build, raw organic texture."

Huey horn pop lane

"Layered but controlled, wide stereo with tight rhythm section center, strong chorus lift, clean 80s polish."
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Assemble the Final Prompt

Combine all selections into a single paragraph. This is the production specification you submit to ElevenLabs.

Format: [Genre + Tempo + Key], [Vocal Block], [Guitar Block], [Bass Block], [Drum Block], [Keys Block], [Production Field Line]

Example Final Prompt

"Clean swing rock, 104 BPM, E major, conversational male vocal with subtle grit, clean fingerstyle electric guitar using Mixolydian phrasing and sliding double stop harmonies, melodic walking bass outlining chord tones, laid back drum groove with slight swing feel, subtle organ undercurrent, spacious mid density live band with wide stereo spread, gradual dynamic lift, warm analog feel."
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Vocal Cleanup (If Needed)

If the initial generation has vocal mix issues, apply one or more of these fixes to refine the output.

1. Carve Guitars Around Vocal
"Midrange carve in guitars to leave space for vocal clarity. Lead vocal sits clearly above guitars."
2. Pull Back Verse Guitars
"Fuzzy rhythm guitars in chorus only. Cleaner, lighter breakup in verses."
3. Tighten Vocal Delivery
"Clear articulation on lead vocal, consonants defined, forward in mix."
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Submit to ElevenLabs

Your assembled prompt is a complete production specification. Paste it into ElevenLabs and generate. The precise musical language constrains the AI to produce output consistent with the Masters Radio catalog sound.

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Critical Rules

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Interactive Prompt Builder

Select your components below and watch the production specification assemble in real time.

Select components above to build your production specification...
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