Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
Riptide: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
By Vance Joy
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 2013
- Easy
The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany Riptide without reading music. The left hand plays walking roots (root bass · quarters), and the right hand sings the tune.
The intro of Riptide in letter notes
The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.
Riptide accompaniment in letter notes
The Am – G – C – Am – G – C loop with walking roots in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
How to read the bar sheet
The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.
Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.
Play next
Questions about Riptide
What are the letter notes for the Riptide piano accompaniment?
Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is Am – G – C – Am – G – C, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Riptide?
The loop is Am – G – C – Am – G – C (vi – V – I – vi – V – I) in C major, and the song ends on Am – G – C.
What key is Riptide in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Riptide?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Riptide easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Riptide?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.