How to Write Grindcore Songs

You want a song that hits like a fist through drywall. You want riffs so tight they make people check for earthquakes. You want drums that sound like a machine gun politely answering all of life

This deep guide gives you everything you need to write grindcore songs that land. We will cover riffs, rhythm, blast beats, song form, vocals, lyrics, tone, recording, mixing, mastering, and ways to get your music heard without selling your soul to an algorithm. Everything is written for artists who are short on time and long on rage. Expect practical exercises, real life scenarios, and a handful of jokes you will laugh at because misery loves company.

What Is Grindcore

Grindcore is an extreme heavy music style born from punk and death metal. It is known for super fast tempos, very short songs, aggressive vocals, and welded together riffs. Think punk speed with metal teeth. Bands like Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer pushed the style into a relentless art form. Grindcore thrives on intensity, brevity, and a sense of chaos that is actually planned chaos.

Quick term explainer

• BPM stands for beats per minute. This tells you how fast your song is moving.
• Blast beat is a drum pattern where kick and snare alternate rapidly under a steady ride or hi hat. It creates that wall of speed everyone recognizes.
• Downtuned means tuning your guitar lower than standard to get a heavier tone.
• Topline here means the vocal melody or vocal line over the riff.
• DAW stands for digital audio workstation. It is the software where you record and edit audio.

Core Principles of Grindcore Songwriting

Grindcore looks chaotic but it follows a few rules very well.

• Intensity over length Rate of attack matters more than long narrative arcs. A three minute grindcore epic is rare. Short and cathartic is the goal.
• Contrast Use sudden stops and slower sections to make fast sections feel faster. Dynamics are a secret weapon.
• Rhythmic precision Tight timing between guitar and drums is everything. If the riff and blast beat are slightly off, it feels sloppy instead of brutal.
• Clear identity Have one signature sound or riff that makes listeners say that is your band in one second.
• Purposeful repetition Repetition is not lazy. It creates a hook in a grindcore way. Repeat motifs until they become a war cry.

Start With the Riff

The riff is the spine of a grindcore song. It can be a tremolo picked blast riff or a chugging palm muted groove. Either way it must be aggressive, concise, and memorable.

Riff writing steps

1. Choose a tuning. E standard is fine but downtuned tuning like drop C or drop B gives weight. If you want monstrous low end use thicker strings to keep tension.
2. Pick a tempo range. Grindcore often lives between one hundred and eighty BPM and three hundred BPM. Start with one eighty or two twenty for practice and move faster when you want chaos.
3. Find a rhythmic motif. Use a two bar pattern that repeats with slight variation. Short motifs are easier to lock to a blast beat.
4. Use power chords, single note lines, and tremolo picking. Tremolo picking means repeatedly picking a single note quickly to create a buzzing texture. Palm muted chugs add punch when you need a break from tremolo.
5. Test for hookiness. Hum the part without instruments. If you can hum it through the noise, it will stick.

Real life scenario

You are in a sweaty garage at midnight. You try a tremolo run, your click track in your headphones says two thirty BPM and your drummer smiles like a psychopath. The riff locks on the second take. You just found the spine.

Techniques and vocabulary for riffs

• Tremolo pick Pick the same note rapidly. Use alternate picking or down picking depending on the desired attack.
• Palm mute chug Dampen strings near the bridge while picking to create percussive attacks.
• Pinch harmonics Use sparingly to add a squeal in the right moment.
• Slides and pinch slides Create a sense of motion between phrases.
• Chromatic passing tones Use single fretted notes between chord hits to add tension and a metal edge.

Drums: The Engine of Grindcore

Drums drive grindcore more than almost any other element. Drummers need stamina, timing, and the ability to transition from blast beats to grooves without losing power.

What is a blast beat

A blast beat is a rapid percussive pattern that often places the snare on every downbeat while the kick matches or alternates. There are many variants. A classic style has just snare and kick trading while the ride cymbal or hi hat plays steady sixteenth or thirty second notes. The feel is forward and relentless.

Types of blast beats

• Traditional Snares on the downbeat with kick filling between. It sounds machine like.
• Hammered Both snare and kick play on every subdivision for full attack.
• Hybrid Mix of traditional blast and double bass patterns to create rhythmic variety.

Working with a drummer if you are a guitarist

Bring a rough map and a tempo. Play the riff looped and count in four. Use click for practice. Write simple counts for where the blast starts and where the stop or breakdown hits. Drummers are human and appreciate clarity. They will repay you with blistering speed and fewer missed cues.

Song Structure That Works for Grindcore

Grindcore songs are rarely long and ornate. They can be micro songs that are under a minute or meatier pieces that use contrast.

Simple structures you can steal

Micro attack

• Intro riff one or two bars
• Full speed riff repeated
• Short stop or vocal cut
• Repeat and end

Short narrative

• Riff A
• Riff B as contrast at slower groove
• Blast beat chorus with chant or repeated line
• Breakdown or stop
• Riff A with a twist

Epic grind

• Slow doom like intro for atmosphere
• Crash into full speed grind riff
• Midsection with tempo change and nervous groove
• Return to blast sections and a final punch

Use silence or near silence as punctuation. A one beat stop before a blast makes listeners lean in. A slow breakdown that lasts ten seconds can feel epic against two minutes of chaos.

Vocals: Scream, Bark, Growl, Or All Three

Vocal style defines a lot of the identity in grindcore. There is no single correct scream. The right approach depends on your voice and the mood you want.

Common vocal styles

• Screaming High and raspy. Cuts through trebly guitars and sits above the blast.
• Barking Short and percussive. Works well as a rhythmic instrument during fast sections.
• Growling Low and guttural. Adds a sense of menace in mid tempo or slower parts.
• Spoken or shouted lines Great for lyrical clarity in a grindcore context. Put them in a break to make a message land.

Warm up and technique

Never skip warm ups. Vocal cords are fragile even when your goal is to sound like an angry chainsaw. Do light hums, lip trills, and gentle chest voice work. Learn to breathe from the diaphragm. Use support and avoid pushing from the throat. If you feel pain you are doing harm not art.

Recording vocals

Record a few takes. Capture a raw aggressive take and a cleaner take. Layer shorter screams as doubles for bigger impact. Use a mic that handles harsh transients. A dynamic microphone like the Shure SM57 or SM7B is a reliable pick. Compress gently to keep the scream upfront without losing the attack.

Lyrics That Match the Energy

Grindcore lyrics can be political, personal, absurd, or satirical. What matters is that they match the intensity and the rhythm of the music.

Lyric tips

• Short lines Keep lines punchy. Long sentences are hard to deliver at blast tempo.
• Rhythmic phrasing Write lyrics as rhythmic units. Clap the syllables and fit them into the riff grid.
• Concrete images Even when you scream about structural injustice, show a simple concrete image to make it visceral.
• Repeated hooks A repeated phrase sung or chanted can function as a chorus in grindcore style.

Example lyric approach

Topic political outrage

Line 1: Metal gate eats the city lights

Line 2: Paper kings count ash as coin

Chant: Burn the ledger

Simple. Fast. Memorable.

Arrangement and Dynamics

Grindcore benefits from contrast. Plan builds and drops so the listener always feels like something is happening.

• Layering Start with a raw guitar and add a second guitar in the chorus for weight.
• Vocal placement Use at least one moment where vocals are more exposed to deliver a message.
• Drum dynamics Drop to toms or floor tom groove for a slower feeling before launching back into a blast.

Real life scenario

You have a demo with constant full throttle and it feels numb. Try removing guitars for eight bars and only leave a distant snare. When the blast returns the impact will be huge. Your listeners will feel it in their solar plexus.

Tone and Gear

You do not need expensive gear to make raw brutal tones. You need the right chain and a little patience.

Guitar and amp tips

• Use thicker strings for downtuned guitars to keep clarity on low notes.
• Set amp presence and mids to taste. A scooped mid sound can sound modern but may lose note definition when playing tremolo leads.
• Experiment with two amp tones in the mix. One bright, one dark, panned to create width.

Bass

Keep bass audible. Use a direct input DI combined with a slightly distorted amp tone. The bass should lock with the kick drum and support the low end without turning to mud.

Drums and triggering

When recording, consider a blend of acoustic drum sound and trigger samples for consistent impact. Triggers are not cheating. They are tools to keep blast clarity on small kit room budgets.

Recording and Production Workflow

Keep your workflow brutal and efficient. Grindcore thrives on energy not endless tinkering.

1. Pre production: Rehearse to the click and record a rough live take with guitars, bass, drums, and scratch vocals. This captures feel.
2. Drums: Record tight with a coach or a click. Use close mics and room mics. Edit only where timing slips. Slight human feel is fine.
3. Guitars: Record tight rhythm takes. Double or quadruple rhythm guitars for body. Pan takes left and right to create width.
4. Bass: Record DI plus amp. Compress and carve low mids to sit with guitars.
5. Vocals: Record multiple takes. Use dynamic comping to pick the punches. Layer for thickness where needed.
6. Mix: Start with drums and kick. Set kick and bass relationship. Bring guitars to match and then fit vocals in. Use EQ to avoid frequency mud.
7. Master: Aim for loudness but not at the cost of clarity. Let midrange breathe. If you squeeze too much you lose aggression.

Mixing Tricks for Clarity and Aggression

• Parallel compression on drums to keep attack and thickness together.
• Multiband compression for bass to control low end without killing transient attack.
• Saturation to add harmonic content to guitars and vocals so they cut through a dense mix.
• Automation to raise vocals in key moments so messages land even under blast sections.
• High pass guitars carefully so the bass and kick have room to breathe.

Promotion and Getting Heard

Grindcore is niche but passionate. Getting your music heard is a combination of community, live presence, and smart online moves.

• Play live Small shows, DIY spaces, metal bars. Make a brutal live impression and people will remember you.
• Collaborate Split releases with other bands. Shared audiences help both sides.
• Use clips Short video clips of a riff and a chant can perform well on social platforms. Grindcore translates visually.
• Band merch Hustle the classic way. T shirts, patches, and limited runs create fans who invest in you.
• Streaming Curate playlists and reach out to niche playlists. Algorithmic success is slow in extreme genres but persistence pays.

Songwriting Exercises and Drills

Practice builds speed and taste. These drills will make you a faster writer and a meaner musician.

Two bar motif drill

Write one two bar riff and play it for twenty minutes. Try three variations each five minutes. This forces you to explore nuance within restriction.

Blast endurance drill

Drummer sets a comfortable blast tempo. Play four bars of blast then four rest. Repeat ten times. Gradually increase blast length. This builds both stamina and economy of motion.

Vocal punch drill

Pick a short riff. Write a single two word chant. Perform the chant at multiple volumes for ten minutes. Record and pick the take that packs the most punch. Short, precise vocal shots are better than long sustained screams for impact.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Too much speed Speed without clarity sounds like noise. Fix by slowing one section slightly and adding a heavy groove.
• Cluttered low end Fix by carving EQ for each instrument and making sure kick and bass work together.
• Vocals buried Fix by automation and layering. A short lead vocal with wider backing takes less space than a single over compressed track.
• Endless sameness Fix by adding a slower bridge or a dramatic stop. Contrast is your secret sauce.

How to Finish a Grindcore Song Fast

1. Set a timer for two hours. Goal is a working demo not perfection.
2. Lay down drums or a programmed drum guide. Keep it tight to a click.
3. Record a raw guitar and bass take to capture the riff energy.
4. Record one or two vocal passes for the hook or chant.
5. Print stems and save. Come back with fresh ears the next day for edits.

Examples and Templates

Use these quick templates as starting points. Replace details with your voice and life.

Micro attack template

BPM: two fifty. Tuning: drop C. Structure: 0 10 seconds intro riff, 10 30 seconds blast with chant repeated, 30 45 seconds breakdown and final hit. Lyrics: three line chant repeated. Total length under one minute.

Short narrative template

BPM: two ten. Start with slow two bar doom lick for four bars then smash into tremolo pick. Insert a mid section with tom groove at one third mark. Return to full speed with a vocal hook repeated and end on a single heavy chord. Total length one to two minutes.

Real Life Case Study

Band name: The Rusty Spore. They had a practice space above a vegan cafe. Their songs were fast and loud and the cafe owner complained. Instead of slowing down they wrote a thirty five second anthem about being kicked out. The riff was a simple tremolo motif. They recorded a DIY demo in a rented practice room and shared a one minute clip online with the cafe owner yelling in the background. The clip went viral within the small grind community and the band booked three small tours that summer. The moral is do not wait for permission to be loud. Use the moment and make art from the chaos.

When to Break the Rules

Eventually you will want to bend rules. Try a full on melodic chorus or a long instrumental section. Leak elements of other genres into your sound and see what happens. Grindcore lives on intensity not orthodoxy. If a change amplifies honesty and power it is worth testing.

Resources and Tools

• DAWs: Reaper for low cost flexibility, Pro Tools for pro studio workflows, Ableton Live for creative loop based ideas.
• Plugins: Amp sims like Neural DSP or Positive Grid for guitar shaping. Parallel compressor and saturators for drum punch.
• Books and tutorials: Look for drum endurance workouts and vocal technique books for extreme voices. Local drummers often know the best tricks.

FAQ

How fast should grindcore songs be

There is no single speed requirement. Many grindcore songs live between one eighty and three hundred BPM. Focus on what the riff and song require. Speed without clarity is noise. Use tempo to serve the riff and the message. If a slower groove makes the riff heavier and meaner choose it.

Do I need a drummer to write grindcore

No. You can program convincing drum tracks to draft ideas. Use real drummers for final recordings and for live shows. Programming skips the rehearsal step but it helps generate sketches. Make sure your guitar and drum parts lock when you move to a live drummer.

How long should a grindcore song be

Many grindcore songs are very short. Micro songs under a minute are common. A good target is thirty seconds to three minutes. Let the song stop while energy is still rising. The goal is catharsis not length.

How do I get a gritty grindcore vocal sound on a budget

Use a dynamic mic that can handle aggressive performance. Record multiple short takes. Use light compression and a saturation plugin to add grit. Duplicate vocal takes, apply slightly different EQ to each, and blend for thickness. Keep reverb minimal so aggression remains direct.

Can grindcore be melodic

Yes. Some bands incorporate melody to create contrast. A melodic hook can make heavy parts feel heavier by contrast. Use melody sparingly and intentionally so it maximizes shock value and emotional payoff.