Other arrangements of Riptide
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(Am)I was scared of den tists and the dark.
this (Am)I was scared of (G)pret ty girls and (C)start ing con ver sa tions.
All (Am)cow my friends are turn ing green;
you’re the (Am)ma gi cian’s as sist ant in their dream.
Ah (Am)ooh.
Ah (Am)oh,
and they (C)come un stuck.
(Am)La dy, (G)run ning down to the (C)rip tide, tak en a way to the (Am)dark side, (G)I wan na be your (C)left hand man.
I (Am)love you (G)when you’re sing ing that (C)song, and I got a lump in my (Am)throat ’cause (G)you’re gon na sing the words wrong.
(Am)There’s this mov ie that I think you’ll like:
this (Am)guy de cides to (G)quit his job, and (C)heads to New York Cit y.
This (Am)cow boy’s run ning from him self,
you’re and (Am)she’s been liv ing on the high est shelf.
Ah (Am)ooh.
Ah (Am)oh,
and they (C)come un stuck.
(Am)La dy, (G)run ning down to the (C)rip tide, tak en a way to the (Am)dark side, (G)I wan na be your (C)left hand man.
I (Am)love you (G)when you’re sing ing that (C)song, and I got a lump in my (Am)throat ’cause (G)you’re gon na sing the words wrong.
wrong.
(Am)I just wan na, I just wan na know
(C)if you’re gon na, if you’re gon na stay.
(Am)I just got ta, I just got ta know;
(C)I can’t have it, I can’t have it (F)an y oth er way.
I (Am)swear she’s des tined for the (C)screen;
(Am)clos est thing to (G)Mi chelle Pfeif fer (C)that you’ve ev er seen, oh.
(Am)La dy, (G)run ning down to the (C)rip tide, tak en a way to the (Am)dark side, (G)I wan na be your (C)left hand man.
I (Am)love you (G)when you’re sing ing that (C)song, and I got a lump in my (Am)throat ’cause (G)you’re gon na sing the words wrong.
Oh, (Am)la dy, (G)run ning down to the (C)rip tide, tak en a way to the (Am)dark side, (G)I wan na be your (C)left hand man.
I (Am)love you (G)when you’re sing ing that (C)song, and I got a lump in my (Am)throat ’cause (G)you’re gon na sing the words wrong.
Oh, (Am)la dy, (G)run ning down to the (C)rip tide, tak en a way to the (Am)dark side, (G)I wan na be your (C)left hand man.
I (Am)love you (G)when you’re sing ing that (C)song, and I got a lump in my (Am)throat ’cause (G)you’re gon na sing the words wrong.
Oh, (Am)throat ’cause (G)you’re gon na sing the words (C)wrong, and I got a lump in my (Am)throat ’cause (G)you’re gon na sing the words wrong.
Riptide — Classic Piano Sheet Music
15 people have learned this song
Read "Riptide" by Vance Joy in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of C. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 120 BPM.
This arrangement is a great way to build confidence with a five-chord pop pattern that sits comfortably in the key of C — your right hand will cycle through Am, C, F, Fmaj7, and G, and since F and Fmaj7 share almost the same shape, you really only need to internalize four distinct chord grips.
Your left hand plays block bass notes, so keep it steady and grounded on the root of each chord without overcomplicating things.
At 120 BPM the tempo is upbeat, so start at about 80 BPM hands-separately, locking in the right-hand chord changes before you layer the left hand underneath.
The trickiest moment is the Am-to-G transition — your fingers will want to rush it, so loop just that two-chord switch until it feels automatic.
Watch your timing on the move from F to Fmaj7 as well; it's a small voice-leading shift, but at speed it's easy to blur.
Once you can play the whole progression cleanly at tempo, focus on keeping a light, bouncy touch to match the playful energy of the song.
This is the piece that will lock your I–IV–V–vi muscle memory into place for dozens of pop songs ahead.
Try other practice modes:
About “Riptide”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Riptide"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature C. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Riptide" by Vance Joy played in?
- Riptide is arranged in the key of C on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Riptide"?
- The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Riptide" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "Riptide"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Riptide"?
- "Riptide" was originally performed by Vance Joy. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Riptide"?
- This arrangement uses 5 chords: Am, C, F, Fmaj7, G.
- What other songs by Vance Joy can I play here?
- Try "MESS IS MINE", "LAY IT ON ME", "SATURDAY SUN". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "Riptide" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature C, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 120 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.
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