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Reference
Instruments style reference
Instrument-forward cue lines from felt piano and pedal steel to 808 subs, taiko, harp and analog synth leads.
How to use this list
Each row pairs a style term with a cue line written in the same grammar: what the music is, what plays it, roughly how fast, and how it feels. Copy the cue, then change one thing at a time so you can tell which token moved the result.
Every line here describes a playing style and a tone, not just a name — that is what makes a Telecaster read as country twang rather than generic guitar.
Combining entries
Use instrument cues as building blocks: drop two or three into any genre prompt to fix the arrangement without changing the style.
If a take drifts away from what you wanted, remove tokens rather than adding more. Long prompts dilute; short, specific ones steer.
| Grand piano | grand piano, close-miked hammers, wide dynamic range, sustain pedal bloom, expressive solo lead |
| Felt piano | felt piano, muted intimate tone, soft mechanical noise, close mic, 62 BPM, hushed melancholy |
| Rhodes electric piano | rhodes electric piano, bell-like tines, light tremolo, warm 7th chords, mellow soul comping |
| Wurlitzer | wurlitzer electric piano, gritty bark on hard hits, vibrato, punchy midrange, retro-soul chords |
| Hammond organ | hammond organ, drawbar swell, rotary leslie, gritty overdrive, gospel-style chord stabs |
| Pipe organ | pipe organ, full-registration chords, deep pedal notes, cathedral reverb, monumental sustain |
| Harpsichord | harpsichord, bright plucked attack, no dynamics, ornamented runs, baroque crispness |
| Nylon-string guitar | nylon-string guitar, fingerpicked arpeggios, warm woody tone, close mic, intimate and pure |
| Steel-string acoustic | steel-string acoustic, bright strummed chords, pick attack, natural room, folk-warm drive |
| 12-string acoustic | 12-string acoustic, shimmering octave doubling, wide chorus-like ring, jangly openness |
| Telecaster clean | clean telecaster, bright twangy single-coil, spring reverb, snappy country-style licks |
| Stratocaster crunch | stratocaster crunch, bluesy mid-gain tone, bends and vibrato, amp breakup, expressive lead |
| Les Paul distortion | les paul distortion, thick saturated humbucker, palm-muted chugs, singing sustain leads |
| Baritone guitar | baritone guitar, low twangy single notes, tremolo and reverb, desert-noir atmosphere |
| Slide / resonator guitar | resonator slide guitar, metallic bottleneck glides, open tuning, dusty delta grit |
| Banjo | five-string banjo, clawhammer or three-finger roll, bright percussive ring, rolling momentum |
| Mandolin | mandolin, tremolo sustained melody, sharp chop on backbeat, bright woody snap |
| Pedal steel | pedal steel guitar, weeping pitch bends, lush volume swells, glassy sustain, aching country color |
| Upright bass | upright bass, woody fingered tone, walking quarter notes, natural resonance, jazz drive |
| Electric bass (fingered) | fingered electric bass, round warm tone, melodic passing notes, tight pocket with kick |
| Slap bass | slap bass, percussive thumb and pop, bright attack, syncopated funk groove |
| Synth bass | synth bass, saturated analog saw, filter movement, sub-heavy foundation, punchy sequenced line |
| 808 sub | 808 sub bass, long pitch glides, distorted saturation, half-time hits, chest-rattling weight |
| Drum kit (acoustic) | acoustic drum kit, live room ambience, natural cymbals, human push-and-pull feel |
| Brushed kit | brushed drums, swirling snare texture, soft ride, whispery low-volume swing |
| Drum machine (808/909) | 808 and 909 drum machine, crisp claps, tuned toms, mechanical precision, retro club feel |
| Congas and bongos | congas and bongos, layered hand-drum patterns, open and muted tones, hot Latin momentum |
| Tabla | tabla, resonant bayan bass strokes, crisp dayan taps, intricate cyclic pattern |
| Taiko | taiko drums, huge low booms, rim accents, ensemble unison hits, ceremonial power |
| Orchestral strings | orchestral strings, full section legato, warm vibrato, swelling dynamics, cinematic sweep |
| Solo cello | solo cello, rich low register, expressive vibrato, long bowed phrases, mournful intimacy |
| Solo violin | solo violin, singing high register, portamento slides, delicate harmonics, yearning melody |
| Brass section | brass section, tight stabs, punchy unison riffs, bright fanfare, funk-horn energy |
| Muted trumpet | muted trumpet, harmon-mute buzz, breathy phrasing, smoky nocturnal lead |
| Tenor saxophone | tenor saxophone, breathy warm tone, bluesy bends, expressive late-night solo |
| Flute | concert flute, airy pure tone, quick ornament runs, light pastoral melody |
| Clarinet | clarinet, woody low chalumeau, fluid legato runs, klezmer-style bends |
| Harp | concert harp, cascading glissandi, arpeggiated chords, shimmering ethereal color |
| Marimba / vibraphone | marimba and vibraphone, warm mallet tone, motor tremolo, bright rolling patterns |
| Analog synth lead | analog synth lead, detuned saw, portamento glides, resonant filter sweep, singing retro lead |
Raw data: /guide/reference/lists/instruments-list.json · 40 entries
FAQ
How many instruments should one prompt name?
Three to five is the sweet spot. Beyond that the mix crowds and individual timbres stop being recognisable.
Do I have to use the whole instruments cue line?
No. The lines are built from independent tokens, so you can keep the two or three that matter and drop the rest without breaking the grammar.
Can I mix this list with another one?
Yes — keep one rhythm description, one lead instrument, one production word and a single tempo. Competing rhythm descriptions are the usual cause of muddled results.