🎸 Learn to Play “Riptide” – Chords, Strumming & Practice Guide
Want to confidently strum your way through Riptide by Vance Joy?
Looking for the chords and a simple breakdown so you can actually play the song, not just collect sheet music?
You’re in the right place!
This page doesn’t give you the lyrics or a chord sheet like you’d find on other sites—but it does give you something better:
A step-by-step plan to help you actually learn the song from start to finish, the way I teach my students.
✅ What You’ll Learn Here
- The chords used in the song
- Two different strumming patterns
- A breakdown of the chord progression
- A section-by-section guide to practicing it (verse, chorus, bridge)
🔁 CHORD PROGRESSION OVERVIEW
The song mostly loops this 3-chord progression:
That’s:
| Am | G | C | C |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
You’ll use this over both the verse and chorus.
🌉 BRIDGE BREAKDOWN
Here’s where things shift a bit. We introduce a new chord (F), and each chord lasts for two bars instead of one.
The bridge follows a 6–5–1–4 chord progression:
| Am | Am | G | G |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
| C | C | F | F |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
This is a common emotional-sounding sequence, and by doubling the chord duration here, we make the section feel more spacious and reflective.
At the very end of the bridge, we strum F once and let it ring (just like we do with C earlier in the verse).
Repeat that until it feels easy.
Once you’re smooth, try adding the strumming pattern instead of all downstrokes.
In the video, I show you how to count, when to switch, and how to feel the groove with your body—not just your brain.
🚀 Next Steps
By following the video and using the practice structure above, you’ll soon be strumming through the entire song with confidence.
If you want to take your guitar skills to the next level, master chords & strumming and more, consider checking out my All-Access Pass!
⚠️ Disclaimer
This tutorial is for educational purposes and personal practice only.
All rights to the original composition belong to their respective copyright holders.
This page does not include or distribute lyrics or official sheet music.
