How to Write Early Hardcore [Fr] Songs

You want a song that hits like a fist and stays in the skull like a cheap tattoo. Early hardcore is brutal, quick, honest, and sometimes messy in the best possible way. If you are trying to capture the energy of early hardcore in France while still sounding like you, this guide takes you through riffs, drums, lyrics in French, vocal tactics, arrangement moves, demo hacks, and live strategies that actually work. No pretension. No BS. Just loud guitars, fast drums, and lyrics that make people think while they pogo.

This is written for people who want to write songs that sound like early hardcore punk from a French perspective. We will explain the terms you need, show how to translate anger or joy into three minute blasts, give examples in French and English, and include exercises you can use right now. If you only have an old practice amp, a phone, and a stubborn attitude, you can use this. If you have access to a studio, you will learn how to make it feel authentic and not overproduced.

What Early Hardcore [Fr] Actually Means

Early hardcore usually refers to the first wave of hardcore punk that exploded after late 70s punk. It is faster, harder, and shorter than many original punk songs. In France the scene absorbed local politics, language, and cultural flavor. Bands used French lyrics, street images, and a direct voice. When we say early hardcore French songs we mean songs that have the energy and economy of classic hardcore with French lyric and attitude.

Core characteristics in plain language

• Short song length often under three minutes
• Fast tempos from around 160 beats per minute up to 220 and sometimes faster
• Simple but aggressive guitar parts based on power chords and chugged riffs
• Drumming focused on speed and feel with lots of snare hits and quick fills
• Vocals shouted or barked with little vibrato and a direct tone
• Lyrics that are political, personal, sarcastic, or confrontational delivered in French
• Production that sounds raw raw or intentionally rough while keeping the instruments clear enough to punch

Why French Matters

French is a consonant heavy language that also has nasal vowels. It behaves differently from English when you sing it at high speed. Prosody rules change. Rhyme schemes feel different. French also carries different cultural references and street slang. Using French gives the song identity and lets the listener feel a real connection to the place and the struggle in the lyric. We will show you how to write French lines that cut cleanly into a shouted vocal.

Core Elements of an Early Hardcore Song

Make no mistake. The sound is simple but the demands are specific. Each element must carry weight because the songs are short. Here is the instrument by instrument breakdown with exact, practical tips.

Guitars

Use simple chord shapes that sound huge when played loud. Power chords are your bread and butter. Power chord means playing the root and the fifth together. You can add the octave if you want more girth. Palm muting is a technique that creates a chunky tight sound. Palm muting means resting the edge of your picking hand lightly on the strings near the bridge while you strum. It creates a chugging rhythm that pushes the song forward.

Tip box

• Use a guitar with humbucker pickups if possible. Humbuckers give more thickness and less noise.
• Drop tuning one step or keep standard tuning. Lower tuning gives more aggression but can make tight fast picking trickier.
• Pick with force. Tone comes from attack as much as gear.
• Keep riffs repeatable. If a riff is hard to play on stage at full speed, simplify it. Speed without precision is noise not song.

Example riff idea written as words

Play a fast palm muted root note on the downbeats and then strike the power chord on the upbeat. Think thump thump thump POP. Repeat for eight bars then hit a single sustained chord that lets the vocals breathe for the first line.

Bass

Bass in hardcore often follows the guitar but with its own pocket. A busy bass that copies every guitar run can swamp the mix. A good trick is to lock with the kick drum and aim for punch. Use pick attack or finger depending on the tone you want. Pick gives a sharper attack and works well when the guitar is thick. For clarity, consider cutting some low frequencies from the guitar so the bass breathes.

Drums

Drums are the engine. Fast tempos require a tight kick and a snare that snaps. The hallmark is the rapid consistent snare on the two and the four in a bar. D beat is a particular drum pattern common in punk. D beat means alternating kick and snare in a driving pattern that creates a rolling momentum. You may also use simple thrash style approaches with double time feel.

Practical drumming notes

• Use short fills. Big cymbal washes kill momentum.
• Keep the kick tight. Too much low boom will muddy guitars and bass.
• Tempo changes are fine but keep the transition obvious with a snare roll or a stop time phrase.

Vocals

Vocals in early hardcore are often shouted. Shouting is about projection not screaming. You want to be heard and understood. Shouting technique involves opening the throat slightly and supporting with the diaphragm. Avoid straining your cords. If you cannot shout for more than a minute without pain you will lose your voice on the first gig.

Vocal texture ideas

• Use short phrases. Let the band shout a hook back to you. This is call and response.
• Record multiple gang vocal takes and stack them to create a crowd like effect when needed.
• Leave space. Silence before a shouted line makes it hit harder.

Lyrics

Hardcore lyrics are direct. They do not wander in metaphors for pages. They state a position or a feeling and they do it with imagery that a listener can picture. In French you can use argot, local slang, and dialect touches to give authenticity. Be careful with references that age badly. The power lies in emotion and clarity more than in topical name checks.

Write in the voice you actually use when you are angry or excited because authenticity matters here. Avoid pretending to be a poet unless you are actually a poet on the street corner

Song Structure and Arrangement

Hardcore songs do not need complex structures. Typical forms include an intro riff, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, breakdown or bridge, short outro. Many songs are even simpler. The key is momentum. The arrangement should increase urgency then offer a release. Release can be a shouted chorus a change in rhythm or a breakdown that opens space for crowd interaction.

Recommended form to start with

• Intro riff 4 to 8 bars
• Verse 8 bars
• Chorus 4 to 8 bars
• Verse 8 bars
• Chorus 4 to 8 bars
• Breakdown 4 bars
• Final chorus with gang vocals 8 bars

How To Write a Song From Scratch

Here is a step by step workflow you can use to write an early hardcore French song in a few focused sessions. Time targets are included because speed breeds honesty.

Session One 20 to 40 minutes riff and groove

1. Set a tempo between 180 and 200 beats per minute. Use a metronome or a drum loop.
2. Play a simple palm muted chug on the low string for four bars. Then hit a power chord on the upbeat. Repeat and experiment until something locks in your chest.
3. Create a second contrasting riff that uses open power chords. This will be your chorus riff.
4. Record the two riffs on your phone. Do not overthink tone. Capture the idea.

Session Two 20 to 30 minutes drums and bass pocket

1. Add a drum pattern. If you do not have a drummer use a drum machine or a loop. Match the snare hits to the back beat. Keep fills short and purposeful.
2. Record a bass line that locks to the kick. If the bass follows the guitar root it will feel solid. Add one small melodic move in the second verse for variation.

Session Three 30 to 60 minutes words and vocal phrasing

1. Write a one sentence thesis that states the emotional idea in French. Examples: Je pète un câble contre la ville qui nous avale or On ne se rendra pas sans faire de bruit. Keep it direct.
2. Turn the sentence into a chorus that repeats a short hook. Use a ring phrase so the chorus starts and ends with the same phrase. Repetition is memory sugar.
3. Write two verse sketches of three to four lines each using concrete images like a closed metro door a stained poster or a rusted bike chain. Use present tense to give the lines immediacy.
4. Test the vocal by shouting the lines over the riff. Adjust syllable counts so they land on strong beats. If a French word has too many syllables carve it down or swap for a slang alternative.

Session Four 30 minutes demo and finish

1. Record a live demo with guitar bass drums and one vocal scratch. Keep it raw. Do not compensate with too much editing. The demo should feel like a rehearsal take.
2. Add gang vocals on the chorus. Five seconds of crowd energy goes a long way in a mix.
3. Listen back and mark one change you want to make. Make only that change. Over polishing kills energy.

French Lyric Tips That Work When You Shout

French vowels and consonants need work for fast delivery. Here are practical tips to make your French lyrics land with power and clarity.

• Prefer open vowels for shouted choruses. Open vowels are sounds like ah oh ay. They project better than closed vowels like eu or u which can sound muffled.
• Use imperative forms to sound direct. Imperative means command words in French such as Va, Crie, Cours. Command language reads as urgent.
• Simplify verb phrases. Replace complex conjugations with short present tense phrases or contractions like j veux instead of je veux if it fits the dialect and the song.
• Place heavy syllables on strong beats. French stress is usually final syllable in a phrase. When you write a line trace where the natural spoken stress lands and align that with the music.
• Use slang deliberately. Argot creates intimacy and survival vibe. But do not overuse local slang unless you want to lock the song to one city.

Example French chorus with translation

Chorus: On crie plus fort que la ville. On crie pour ne pas rentrer. On crie jusqu a vider nos poches.

Translation: We shout louder than the city. We shout so we do not go back inside. We shout until our pockets are empty.

Lyric Devices That Work in Hardcore

Use devices that increase impact without slowing the song. Hardcore likes direct and sharp tools.

• Ring phrase. Repeat the same short phrase at the start and end of the chorus for memory.
• List escalation. Three items that grow in intensity. Put the wildest image last.
• Shorthand scenes. Use one prop like a cigarette pack or a burned flyer and return to it in verse two with a change.
• Call and response. Lead with a line and let the band or backing vocal answer with a chant.

Production Tricks That Keep It Real

Production for early hardcore should sound raw but not sloppy. Here are reliable studio or home recording approaches to preserve energy and presence.

Capture the band live if possible

Record the band playing together with bleed between mics. This creates interaction and an organic push that quantized drums will never copy. If you must overdub keep the first full take as reference and keep overdubs loose.

Guitar tone

Use a crunchy amp setting with a tight low end. If you have a reamp or mic choices, place a dynamic mic like a Shure SM57 close to the speaker cone and an additional room mic for air. Blend the close and the room signals. Too much room makes everything muddy. Too much close makes it thin.

Vocals

Record several angry passes and pick the best one. Do not tune because tuning removes grit. If the lead vocal is thin, duplicate it and lightly detune one copy for thickness. Add a touch of plate reverb with a short decay to give the voice space. Use slap delay sparingly. Keep the vocal front and center in the mix.

Mixing

High pass guitars around 70 Hz to 100 Hz to allow the bass to breathe. Cut muddiness around 250 to 400 Hz for clarity. Boost presence for vocals in the 3 to 6 kHz range. Use bus compression to glue drums and guitars. A little saturation or tape emulation can add harmonic grit that sounds like an old rehearsal tape which many hardcore fans adore.

Live Show Strategy For Hardcore Songs

Hardcore shows are about connection. Your song may be short but the experience can be large. Here are tactics that make the music translate live into sweat and memory.

• Practice shout breaks. Know where the vocal stops to let the crowd fill the gap. These spaces are for stage and crowd drama.
• Keep transitions tight. Do not waste time tuning between songs. Use small tempo idents or a spoken line to keep the momentum.
• Organize gang vocals ahead of time. Teach the chorus to your friends and ask them to stand near the stage. A single strong gang vocal makes a chorus universally singable.
• Plan one staged crowd move. It can be a chant a stomp pattern or a call and response. Make sure it is safe. Hardcore is about energy not injury.

Examples and Before After Lines

Realistic before and after edits help you see how to sharpen lyrics and riffs.

Before: Je suis en colère contre tout. C est dur.

After: La ville vomit ses pubs. Je crache par terre et je ris.

Before: Les guitares jouent fort et la batterie tape vite.

After: Les cordes cognent comme une porte qu on enfonce. La caisse claque, les murs répondent.

Practice Drills That Build Speed And Clarity

If you are writing fast songs you need to practice playing and singing at speed. These drills are ruthless but effective.

• Two minute scream drill. Sing the chorus at full volume for thirty seconds then rest thirty seconds. Repeat three times. Focus on projection not strain.
• Riff loop drill. Loop eight bars of your riff and play it eight times without mistakes. Speed up gradually by five beats per minute each time you succeed.
• Call and response rehearsal. Record the chorus and practice your gang vocal entries until they are coordinated. Crappy timing kills the impact.

Common Mistakes And How To Fix Them

• Too many ideas in one song. Fix by choosing one emotional or political idea and orbiting around it.
• Lyrics too abstract. Fix by adding one concrete image per verse that anchors feeling.
• Guitar parts too complicated. Fix by simplifying to a strong rhythmic pattern and saving leads for accents.
• Vocals not audible. Fix by adjusting mid range for presence and shaving low mid buildup from guitars.
• Overproduced tone. Fix by adding a raw room mic or lowering quantization to keep human feel.

Translation Tips For English Speakers Writing In French

If French is not your first language but you want to write in French do these three things before you lock the lyric.

1. Write a rough draft in your native language to capture the true emotion.
2. Translate into French and then speak the lines out loud at shouting volume to test prosody.
3. Have a native speaker check colloquial usages and slang. Small errors can make a line sound fake or blunt in the wrong way.

Five Song Ideas You Can Use Tonight

Copy one of these seeds and build a song with the workflow above. They each have a chorus sentence and a verse image to get you started. Translate or rewrite in your voice and your French level.

• Seed 1 Chorus: On lâche rien. Verse image: an empty metro at three in the morning with a single burned cigarette.
• Seed 2 Chorus: Pas notre ville. Verse image: a poster peeling on a concrete wall that says sold out.
• Seed 3 Chorus: Brûle la radio. Verse image: a broken radio set on a balcony playing static and someone turning the knob with a hammer.
• Seed 4 Chorus: Vive le bruit. Verse image: neighbours banging pans to make a rhythm that becomes a street band.
• Seed 5 Chorus: On rentre jamais. Verse image: a pair of shoes left in the gutter like an exit strategy.

How To Finish A Song Fast

To actually finish songs adopt a simple end game. Limit choices so you do not tinker forever.

1. Lock the chorus line. If you can hum the chorus in one breath you are done with ideas for that section.
2. Trim the verse to one concrete scene each. Do not layer in backstory.
3. Decide on one performance trick for the live show like a shout or a handclap rhythm and keep it consistent across the set.
4. Record a rough demo and put it in a folder called done. Move to the next song.

Legal Notes And Ethical Considerations

Hardcore often courts provocation. Use that power responsibly. Songs with hateful language or that incite real violence can harm people and can create legal exposure. Punch systems not people. Use satire if you want to attack an idea. The best hardcore punches ideas so hard you see blood on the ideology and not on actual people.

Resources And Further Listening

Listen with intent. Pay attention to arrangement choices, how the vocals sit, and how short songs still tell a story. Seek out early hardcore from different countries and note how language changed the approach. Practice with recordings and then unplug to test the feel in a room with people.

FAQ

What tempo should my early hardcore song be?

Most early hardcore songs run between 160 and 220 beats per minute. Choose a tempo where the riff still feels punchy. If the guitar becomes a blur you are too fast. If the song feels slow the energy will sag. Start at 180 bpm and adjust for comfort and impact.

Can I use clean guitars in hardcore?

Yes. Clean guitars can be used in intros or bridges for contrast. The key is contrast. A single clean guitar line followed by an immediate dirty crash back into distortion can make a chorus hit with more force. Keep it short and purposeful.

How do I sing hardcore without wrecking my voice?

Support with your diaphragm breathe from low not from your throat. Practice shouting in 20 second bursts with rest between. Hydrate and avoid screaming at full volume for hours. Consider a lightweight vocal coach session who understands punk technique. Warm up and cool down your voice like an athlete.

Should I write in French or English?

Write in the language that best communicates the feeling you want. French gives local identity and specific textures. English can broaden reach. Some bands use both. If you choose French make sure your phrasing works at speed and that your slang is natural.

How do I make a chorus memorable in three lines?

Use a short ring phrase repeat it and add a small twist in the final line. Keep vowels open and the rhythm simple. Make sure the title or the main chant falls on a strong beat and is easy for a crowd to shout back.

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