Vance Joy’s “Riptide” is a song that resonates with guitarists of all levels, especially beginners. Its charm lies in its simplicity – a catchy tune built upon a foundation of easy-to-learn chords. If you’re looking for a song to strum along to, improve your rhythm, and memorize chord progressions effortlessly, look no further. This lesson will break down the Chords For Guitar Riptide, making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of your guitar experience.
Why “Riptide” Chords are Perfect for Guitar Beginners
“Riptide” isn’t just a fun song to play; it’s a fantastic tool for developing essential guitar skills. Many songs can feel overwhelming when you’re starting out, but “Riptide” offers a gentle learning curve. Here’s why the chords for guitar riptide are ideal for beginners:
- Simple Chord Progression: The song primarily uses just three chords: Am, G, and C. These are foundational open chords that every guitarist should know. Mastering these chords through “Riptide” sets you up for success with countless other songs.
- Repetitive Structure for Easy Memorization: The chord progression in “Riptide” is cyclical, repeating throughout the verse and chorus. This repetition aids in muscle memory and allows you to internalize the chord changes quickly. You’ll find yourself naturally anticipating the next chord, making the learning process smoother.
- Great for Practicing Strumming Rhythms: “Riptide” is in 4/4 time, the most common time signature in popular music. This makes it perfect for practicing your strumming in a steady, predictable rhythm. The song also offers opportunities to experiment with different strumming patterns, from basic quarter notes to more syncopated rhythms.
Learning the chords for guitar riptide is not just about learning one song; it’s about building a solid foundation in guitar playing.
The Story Behind Vance Joy’s “Riptide”
Before diving deeper into the chords, let’s take a moment to appreciate the story behind the song and the artist. Vance Joy, born James Keogh, adopted his stage name from a character in Peter Carey’s novel “Bliss.” Interestingly, music wasn’t his initial career path.
Vance Joy earned degrees in Arts and Law from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and even played semi-professional Australian rules football before fully committing to his music career. This diverse background adds an intriguing layer to his artistry. Many songwriters jokingly say they’d choose a different career if they could, given the uncertainties of the music industry. However, for Vance Joy, music seems to be a genuine calling he embraced after exploring other avenues.
“Riptide” was initially conceived as a song in segments over several years. Joy penned the chords and initial lyrics back in 2008. This musical fragment remained untouched for four years. It wasn’t until 2012, while preparing his debut EP, that he rediscovered this early idea. While working on a new song that sparked a similar vibe, he merged the old snippet with the new material, and “Riptide” was born.
Released in April 2013 as part of his EP “God Loves You When You’re Dancing,” “Riptide” quickly climbed the charts, becoming a global hit. It later featured on his debut album, “Dream Your Life Away,” released in 2014. The song’s infectious chorus and simple yet effective chord progression contributed to its widespread appeal. With just a handful of chords for guitar riptide to master, you can unlock this popular tune and enjoy playing it yourself.
riptide-chords
Breaking Down the “Riptide” Chord Progression
One of the most appealing aspects of “Riptide” is its easy-to-memorize chord progression. The chords cycle through a simple sequence, making it both satisfying to play and easy to get stuck in your head (in a good way!). For most of the song, you only need to know three chords.
The melody gracefully shifts between the verse and chorus, but underneath, the same three chords are consistently cycling. This underlying consistency is what makes the song so accessible for guitarists.
The chords for guitar riptide follow this progression, with each chord symbol representing one four-beat measure:
Am G C C
Whether you’re already familiar with these common open chord shapes or not, you’ll quickly grasp them with the guidance provided below. These chords are fundamental to playing countless songs, making “Riptide” an excellent starting point.
Simplified “Riptide” Chords for Absolute Beginners
If you’re brand new to the guitar, the idea of forming chords might seem daunting. However, even on your very first day, you can start playing “Riptide.” Each of the main chords in “Riptide” – Am, G, and C – has simplified, “stepping-stone” versions that use fewer fingers. These simplified chords allow you to grasp the basic progression and get playing right away.
Let’s start with the Am (A minor) chord. Here are a couple of beginner-friendly ways to play an approximation of Am using just two fingers:
Am (x02010)
(If chord diagrams are new to you, remember to check out resources on “How To Read Guitar Chordboxes.” Understanding chord diagrams will unlock a world of guitar knowledge!)
Am (x02200)
Try playing both of these simplified Am options. The first option tends to sound slightly more distinctly “minor,” but both will work beautifully in the song and serve as excellent starting points for the full Am chord.
Next, let’s look at the G major chord. Here are a couple of simplified options for G:
G (320000)
G (xx0003)
Finally, we have the C major chord, which also has easier variations:
C (x32000)
C (xxx010)
The second C option is simpler to finger, but be aware that it might sound a bit too similar to your chosen Am option if you’re not careful to avoid accidentally strumming extra strings.
Experiment with different combinations of these stepping-stone shapes for your Riptide chords. Practice switching between them, initially just strumming each chord once. This is a fantastic way to practice chord changes without the added challenge of maintaining a rhythm.
Here’s a recommended combination of simplified Riptide chords to get you started:
Am (x02010)
G (xx0001)
C (x32000)
Once you feel comfortable with these simplified chord shapes and transitions, you can start adding rhythm and create your own basic arrangement of “Riptide.” It’s a rewarding and fun way to begin your guitar journey!
Mastering Full Open “Riptide” Chords
As you progress beyond the absolute beginner stage, the “Riptide” chords become an excellent stepping stone to learning full open chord shapes. These full shapes aren’t significantly more complex than the simplified versions and offer a richer, fuller sound.
The three main chords in “Riptide” – Am, G, and C – are frequently found together in countless songs. By practicing “Riptide,” you’re not just learning this one song; you’re also making it easier to learn other songs in the keys of G major and C major in the future.
In music theory, the “key” of a song refers to its melodic and harmonic home base. “Riptide” is in the key of C major, meaning that every chord in the song either leads away from or back to the C major chord. Am chord creates a slight departure, while G chord creates a pull back towards C.
riptide-chords
Below are the full open chord shapes for the Riptide chords:
Am (x02210)
G (320003)
C (x32010)
Notice how closely shaped these chords are to each other. With practice, this proximity will make switching between them much smoother and faster.
If you find the G and C chords a bit tricky to form or transition between, especially C major, you’re not alone! They are among the more challenging beginner chords. But with focused practice, they become much easier.
Try this helpful practice technique: Form the G chord using your second, third, and fourth fingers. Place your third finger on the low E string (6th string), second finger on the A string (5th string), and balance your fourth finger on the high E string (1st string). From this G chord position, try changing to C by shifting your third and second fingers over one string each.
How-to-play-riptide-on-guitar
Pro-Tip: Make your third finger (ring finger) the “leader” when forming G and C chords. Placing your third finger onto its correct string first helps position your other fingers more accurately over their intended strings. Just a little focused practice on this technique will rapidly improve your G and C chords and your ability to switch between them!
Navigating the Bridge Chords in “Riptide”
For the bridge section of “Riptide,” the chords are almost identical to those in the verse and chorus. A bridge in a song serves as a contrasting section, often called the “middle eight” because it’s typically eight bars long. It breaks up the repetition between verses and choruses, adding variety to the song structure.
In “Riptide,” the bridge maintains a similar harmonic feel, adding only one new chord to the familiar progression. If you can already play the main chord progression, you’re just one chord away from mastering the bridge.
The chord progression for the “Riptide” bridge is as follows:
Am Am G G
C C Fmaj7 Fmaj7
Am Am G G
C C Fmaj7 (hold)
Am G C (hold)
Am G C (hold)
Vance-Joy-Riptide-chords
The Fmaj7 (F major 7) chord introduces a subtle but beautiful variation to the chord sequence, adding a slightly different harmonic color to the progression. Interestingly, the Fmaj7 chord is closely related to the C chord shape. You might even have accidentally played an Fmaj7 while initially learning the C chord!
Here’s the Fmaj7 chord:
Fmaj7 (xx3210)
To transition from C to Fmaj7, you can keep your first finger in place on the B string, first fret, and simply move your second and third fingers down one string each.
Pro-Tip: Chord transitions become smoother when you recognize the overlaps and similarities between chord shapes. C major and Fmaj7 share common finger placements, making the move between them efficient once you become familiar with both chords.
Vance-joy-guitar-songs
Strumming Patterns for “Riptide” Guitar
When learning any new song, it’s beneficial to start with simple strumming to focus on chord changes and rhythm. A good starting point is using whole-note strums. This means you strum each of the Riptide chords once and let it ring out for a full four counts.
Count aloud: “1 – 2 – 3 – 4,” strumming the chord only on count “1”. Count and strum like this: “Am – 2 – 3 – 4, G – 2 – 3 – 4, C – 2 – 3 – 4, C – 2 – 3 – 4.”
Once you’re comfortable with whole notes, progress to quarter-note strums. In quarter-note strumming, you strum on every count: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.
With a steady rhythm, strum: Am – Am – Am – Am, G – G – G – G, C – C – C – C, C – C – C – C.
If you can consistently maintain a steady quarter-note strum while changing chords accurately at least 80% of the time, you’re ready to explore strumming patterns for the Riptide chords.
There are really only two fundamental rules for strumming patterns: maintain a continuous down-up motion with your strumming hand and keep a steady count to avoid losing or adding beats.
Vance Joy himself uses a simple but effective eighth-note strum in parts of “Riptide.” An eighth-note strum involves strumming on both the downbeat and the upbeat (the “and” between the counts). It’s counted as:
Down-up, down-up, down-up, down-up
Here are a couple more strumming patterns that are very similar and often interchangeable:
Down, down, down-up, down-up
Down, down, -up, down-up (The hyphen represents a rest or pause on the upbeat)
If you want to add a bit more rhythmic complexity, try the calypso strum:
Down, down-up, -up, down-up
easy-Vance-joy-songs-for-guitar
The Instrumental Break in “Riptide”
Between the second chorus and the bridge in “Riptide,” there’s a pleasant four-measure instrumental break. This break is optional but provides a nice change of pace from the repeating chords before transitioning into the bridge.
Instrumental breaks offer a valuable opportunity to focus on riffs and chord progressions without the distraction of vocals. Always take advantage of these sections when practicing songs.
For the “Riptide” instrumental break, you can simply play along using the C major chord shape. Strum the C chord in time with the music during this section.
Alt text: Guitar chord diagram for C major for Riptide instrumental break practice.
Putting It All Together: Playing “Riptide” with a Capo
If you’ve tried playing the Riptide chords along with Vance Joy’s recording, you might notice that it doesn’t sound quite the same pitch. This is because Vance Joy uses a capo placed on the first fret of his guitar.
To match the recording’s key and play along accurately, you’ll need to use a capo on the first fret. If you’re new to using a capo, here are two key points to remember:
- When we say “on” the first fret, the capo should be positioned just behind the first fret, closer to the fret itself than to the nut of the guitar.
- Ensure the capo is parallel to the fret. A capo that’s not straight can cause tuning issues and make your guitar sound slightly out of tune, even if it’s perfectly tuned without the capo.
Vance Joy’s arrangement of “Riptide” skillfully utilizes the catchy chorus, making it ideal for singalongs and jam sessions. The song’s structure is based on repeating chord cycles, allowing for flexibility in rearranging verses and choruses if you wish.
Here’s a summary of the song structure to guide your practice:
Intro x2
Verse x4
Yodeling x2
Chorus x4
Verse
Yodeling
Chorus
Instrumental Break
Bridge
Quiet Chorus
Louder Chorus
Another Chorus
For a complete chart of Riptide chords and lyrics, you can find resources online (like Ultimate-Guitar).
Alt text: Vance Joy Riptide song structure diagram for guitarists learning the song.
Get Thee To A Jam Session!
“Riptide” is simply too much fun to keep to yourself! Take your newfound skills and this song to local open mics or jam sessions and share the music with others. Playing and singing in a group setting is one of the fastest ways to improve your musical abilities and confidence. Learning the chords for guitar riptide is just the beginning – now it’s time to share the joy of music with others!
