Riptide Ukulele Chords & Tabs [Learn Ukulele Songs] in 2017

Introduction:
Even the biggest masters have started out with easy songs and simple melodies - that's why today,
we're bringing you the Riptide Ukulele Chords and Tabs, including a detailed how-to about mastering
this easy ukulele song!
Riptide is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy. This ukulele song was first released as a
track on his debut EP God Loves You When You're Dancing (2013), serving as its second single, and
is also featured on his debut studio album Dream Your Life Away (2014).
Learning to play ukulele can be very helpful if you are already a musician, and it can also be a great
endeavor if you are a total beginner. But if you stick to a solid system and work your way up step by
step, you will be able to learn any song you can think of!
This specific guide will combine some of our unique methods for learning guitar and bass songs,
including the ACE method and the 4 C's method, but at he same time, we will try to cover some unique
aspects of the ukulele as an instrument.
We are also going to show you two ways of playing this song:
1) Using a tenor, concert, or soprano ukulele, tuned to G - C - E - A;
2) Using a baritone ukulele, tuned to D - G - B - E.
So, if you are ready to start learning this amazing ukulele song, we can begin!
First things first: Tuning your ukulele:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/KORG_AW-2_Clip-On_Tuner.jpg
In case that this is your first song or you are a total beginner, it is important to know how to tune a
ukulele. Depending on the size of your ukulele, you are either going to tune to G - C - E - A (tenor,
concert, or soprano ukulele) or to D - G - B - E (baritone ukulele).
The reason for tuning the ukulele is that all the strings have to produce very specific pitches or notes,
and if the ukulele is out of tune, then you won't be able to play Riptide, or any other song, along with
the recording. You must make sure that you know what type of ukulele you are using because you will
need to learn the correct shapes to play the song along with the recording, as well.
To tune each string, you need to turn the tuning peg on the headstock that the string is attached to.
Tightening the string will make the note go higher, and loosening it will make the note go lower.
The best way for beginners to tune is to use an electronic clip-on tuner and to watch an instructional
video. Of course, asking a friend who is a musician for help is not wrong, either!
Soprano, Concert, Tenor Ukulele
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxiqncOkZ7M

Baritone Ukulele:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp0vVjRpDkU
Make sure that you tune your ukulele carefully and try not to snap a string. Keep in mind that your
ukulele might go out of tune very fast during the first few days or even for up to two weeks, especially
if it is brand new or if the strings were changed recently.
Another reason for going out of tune is change in temperature. Don't get frustrated if your ukulele goes
out of tune constantly. It is just part of how all musical instruments work. As long as you can play the
song from beginning to end without the ukulele going completely wacky, you are fine.
After tuning your ukulele, try to play a few easy chords. If you are a total beginner, make sure to check
out websites like ukulele-tabs.com which offer chord charts for the easiest chords on the ukulele. Also,
try to watch some chord videos and don't forget that the shapes are different between baritone ukulele
on one side and soprano, concert and tenor ukuleles on the other side, which is the result of tuning
them in a different way.
And if you don't know any chord, we will try to learn and revise the few chords that we will need for
Riptide right now!
Basic Ukulele Chords
The ukulele only has four strings, but they are tuned in such a way that playing chords is made rather
easy. The key of the song Riptide is also one that fits the ukulele rather well and that is why we can
play almost all of the song's chords in open chord positions.
In music for stringed instruments, especially guitar and ukulele, an open chord (also called
open-position chord) is a chord that includes one or more strings that are not fingered. That makes it
easy to play all four strings at the same time while having to use only one or two fingers of the fretting
hand.
Because of the different tuning, on different ukulele types, the same shapes will produce a different
chord, but the shapes on both instruments are the same and are interchangeable, so you will be able
to use a few shapes to get different results on different instruments.
And interestingly enough, the same shapes can be applied to guitar, as well! That means that learning
to play Riptide on one ukulele type will make it easier to switch to another one later on, and even make
it easier to learn it on guitar later on.
The song's first few chords and opening two lines were originally written at Joy's Glen Iris, Melbourne,
home in 2008. The chords that we need for the song Riptide are:
A Minor
G Major
C Major
and F major.
With only these four chords you can play dozens of songs, including Riptide, but you can also use them
for your own compositions.
Open Chords On Tenor, Soprano and Concert Ukulele:
https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/uke-songs/vance-joy/riptide-uke-tab-31868.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc7FVgu-xr0
On the three smaller ukulele types, we can play all four chords of the song Riptide in open chord
positions. The hardest one is the G chord because it uses three fingers, but with just a little bit of practice
you will manage to play that one, too.
Keep in mind that you need to use only your finger tips for fretting and try not to mute any of the other
ukulele strings.
F Major A Minor G Major C Major
A |-----0-----|-----0-----|-----2-----|-----3-----|
E |-----1-----|-----0-----|-----3-----|-----0-----|
C |-----0-----|-----0-----|-----2-----|-----0-----|
G |-----2-----|-----2-----|-----0-----|-----0-----|

Open Chords On Baritone Ukulele

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2axciXbyXE
https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/uke-songs/vance-joy/riptide-uke-tab-31868.html?uke=baritone

On the baritone ukulele, we can still play 3 out of 4 chords in open positions, but the F chord needs to
be a bar chord. That means that you need to use your index finger to play two notes at the same time.
Learning this F chord is somewhat harder but once you do get it you will find it to be really easy. If it is
impossible, just play the F chord on three strings only until you get better. Rather than squeezing harder
which will soon tire your finger, try to rotate your barring finger back towards the nut very slightly and
press the string with the harder side of the finger for more strength and pressure.
F Major A Minor G Major C Major
E |-----1-----|-----0-----|-----3-----|-----0-----|
B |-----1-----|-----1-----|-----0-----|-----1-----|
G |-----2-----|-----2-----|-----0-----|-----0-----|
D |-----3-----|-----2-----|-----0-----|-----2-----|
Final Words On Ukulele Chords
Mastering a few simple ukulele chords is important before attempting to play a whole song, but luckily,
learning only a few chords will allow you to play Riptide and other easy songs.
Always make sure to play all strings individually to check if all the strings are ringing out properly. After
memorizing the shapes , practice changing the chords while staying in rhythm. This will be tricky at first,
but with enough practice, you will be able to do it without even thinking about it.
Now that we know the chords that we need, let us take a quick look at the strumming hand. We will
also learn a few rudimentary strum patterns.
Pro Tip: If you want to play chords correctly, you will need to keep your fingernails on your
fretting hand very short and neat. This is necessary so that you can use the very tips of your
fingers and not block open strings. Your fingernails on your strumming hand can be grown-out,
though.
Strumming Hand And Strum Patterns
The strumming hand determines the rhythm, speed and dynamics of the chords fretted by the fretting
hand. That means that you need to invest a certain amount of time into synchronizing your left and right
hand.
As a beginner, you don't necessarily have to worry about countless strum patterns. The reason for that
is that a lot of them are simply a combination of smaller, shorter and simpler strum patterns. Once you
learn a few basic strum patterns, you will be able to play almost any song.
We have covered the topic of the strumming hand in more detail in our guitar related articles. In short,
you can use your dominant hand either with a pick or with fingers only. Both ways can yield results, but
they will produce a different tone.
While there are players who are holding the pick with the flat or bottom side of their index finger and
thumb, most professional players hold the pick on the side of the index finger. This is a matter of
personal preference, though, and no way is necessarely right or wrong.
There are numerous strum patterns to choose from and often they make each song sound unique. As
a beginner, you should try to master only a few ones which sound good over many different chord
progressions and will make your strumming sound good.
The easiest strum patterns are to continuously alternate between a downstroke and an upstroke, and
playing downstrokes only. If you can master these two, all other strum patterns are just a combination
of those.
Now, are you ready to combine what we've learned and play the whole song?
Ukulele Song - Riptide
A modern and popular song, that is also easy to play even for beginners, is 2013s “Riptide” by the
Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy. Lyrically, the upbeat indie folk song has been described as
"a coming of age love story" and the song is known for its metaphors and pop culture references.

Listen to the recording of the song multiple times and try to remember certain things like lyrics, order of
verses and chords and try to memorize the strum pattern. Write those things down and don't be afraid
to add your own remarks and notes about the cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES_aFUIvBz0
After doing that, try to combine your strumming and fretting hand. Try playing the song using only
tableture and your ears. If that doesn't work out, watching a detailed walk-through instructional video
might be helpful.
Soprano, Tenor and Concert Ukulele Tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFBFp6do9WE
Baritone Ukulele Cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPNjETpGHoE

Learning Riptide Completely:

There are certain ways to make learning a song from beginning to end easier and those ways certainly
apply to Riptide, too.
One important thing to do is to map the song out. Every song has its own structure known as the song
form or arrangement. You will have to count how many verses, pre-choruses, choruses, a possible
bridge section there are in a song. Using the lyrics of a song and chord over lyrics notation can help
you out with this, but you will still have to memorize parts without singing.
When practicing, make sure to turn off the TV and remove as many distractions from your environment
as possible, such as mobile phones or fidget spinners. 5 minutes of focused practice is way better than
15 minutes of broken, unconnected strumming. Remember to practice every day, even for 5-10
minutes, because anything is better than nothing. The key to getting better is continuity.
And one of the most important tips is that you should always break the song down into small sections
and tackle a section at a time. You should probably start off by learning only about four bars at a time,
and learn them at a slower tempo. Practice each bit until you are happy with it, then try to play it up to
speed. An additional advice to remember is the saying that, if you are not completely sick of playing a
part of a song, you probably haven't practiced it enough times.
Conclusion:
If you've followed each part correctly, you should by now be able to play Riptide at least
partially. Keep on practicing until you get it right and don't get discouraged if you are stuck with
the song for a long time. The beginnings are often the hardest parts of every new endeavor.
For more song ideas and additional tips on how to play easy chord patterns, take a look at our guitar
related articles, like the Top 10: Easy Guitar Songs For Beginners article, or our Definitive Guide on
how to learn and practice guitar techniques and songs.
We hope you enjoyed this article! Please consider sharing it with family and friends, so that maybe
they, too, can pick up a new instrument and practice together with you! And maybe you can try out
different ukulele types together? An electric ukulele, for example could be a great addition to an acoustic
arrangement!
If you keep on practicing, we are sure that you will be able to learn Riptide on ukulele and many other
songs very soon! Till next time!
Top 5 Ukulele Songs With Similar Chords As Riptide:
1) Counting Stars - One Republic (Am, C, G, F)
2) Down On The Corner - Creedence Clearwater Revival (C, F, G7)
3) Jambalaya - Hank Williams (C, G7)
4) Leaving on a Jet Plane - John Denver (C, F, G)
5) Octopus’s Garden - The Beatles (C, F, Am, G)

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