Learn How to Play "Riptide" by Vance Joy on the Acoustic Guitar!

Today we'll check out Riptide by Vance Joy on guitar! This tune was originally played on a baritone ukulele, which uses the same tuning as the thinnest four strings of your guitar.

If you want to learn that version, check out my Riptide Ukulele tutorial. This guitar lesson will be super easy if you've learned that already - the chord shapes are almost identical. :)

💡 Play Riptide along with the tracks in my guitar app to boost your skills! You get a full band experience, so it’s perfect for practicing your chord changes and strumming patterns. It's also great fun!

Riptide by Vance Joy is a relatively easy song to play. You use the same three open chords for the entire song, except the bridge. There’s also a riff section, which doesn't sound as good on guitar as the uke - but we’ll learn it anyways. :)

Let’s check out the chords!

Riptide by Vance Joy: Guitar Chords

The chords are pretty standard: the verse and chorus progression is Am, Am, G, C. I recommend you play G with fingers 3 and 4 to make the changes simple. :)

If you're struggling with these chord shapes, explore my Chord Library and get helpful tips on the best grips!

Riptide by Vance Joy: Strumming

Once you know the chords, it's time to work on your strumming pattern. The rhythm stays pretty consistent for the whole song, and I recommend you practice it by muting the strings so you can focus on getting it right. Check out the video tutorial to practice my recommended strumming pattern!

💡 Justin's Journey: I tend to play Riptide faster than I should; I must admit that! Playing along with the original recording is a great way to fix that. :)

You need to automate this strumming pattern as much as possible, especially if you want to play and sing. The lyrics for Riptide are pretty wordy, and you might need to concentrate on your singing quite a bit. So automating the guitar part is key, and repetition is what will get you there.

Here’s a key tip for strumming: don’t stop the rhythm if the chords go wrong. Just keep going no matter what. :)

🔥 Singing and Playing: keen to sing Riptide while you play? Check out my comprehensive 10-step guide for singing and playing at the same time.

Riptide uses the same strumming pattern and mostly the same chords throughout the entire tune, so don't forget to vary the dynamics, or you might end up sounding… boring!

For the final verse, try strumming only on the chord change. Let it breathe and allow the dynamics to drop. This gives you a lot of space to build up the volume in the final chorus. Check out the video tutorial for extra tips on how to spice up your playing.

🎸 Master Your Guitar Dynamics: if you want to add a pro touch to your rhythm guitar and learn a heap of tricks for varying your dynamics, check out my Strumming Dynamics course.

The Riff & The Bridge

The little motif after verse 2 sounds great on uke but not so good on guitar. String 4 of the uke is tuned an octave higher than the D string on guitar, so the riff has a different flavour on uke. In any case, it’s a great way to vary the dynamics of your playing, so check out the video lesson to learn it!

As for the bridge, the chord progression is similar to the main one, but we add a couple of extra chords. The progression is Am, Am, Gsus4, G; C C FMaj7, FMaj7.

💣 There are tons of ways to play FMaj7! Check out these three F chord variations to expand your chord palette. :)

Now it’s practice time. :) This song also works really well on ukulele, and it'll be easy for you now you've learned the guitar version. Check out my Riptide Ukulele tutorial if you’re interested. Laters!

🎸 Play Riptide with my guitar app for a full band experience! Start your free trial now.