Riptide is the song that proves the entire I-V-vi-IV chord loop is a beginner’s best friend. Four chords, in a fixed order, looped from the first beat to the last. If you can play those four chords in any order, you can play the song. James Keogh writes most of his catalog inside the same template, which is good news if you’re starting out: learn one Vance Joy song and you’ve effectively learned the framework for several more.
The detail worth zooming in on is the right hand. The recorded version of Riptide uses ukulele, but on guitar a percussive palm-mute on the downbeat gets you most of the way there. Rest the side of your strumming hand lightly on the strings near the bridge, hit the chord, then lift off so the next strum rings out. That dampened-then-open pattern is what gives the songs their bouncy, conversational feel.
Riptide is on this site already with the chord progression and metronome ready to go. Next jump should be Mess Is Mine. Same four chords, slightly different order, similar tempo. Once those two are clean, Lay It On Me with a capo on the first fret introduces a brighter key without changing what your left hand has to do.
The thing worth borrowing from Vance Joy’s writing is the trust in repetition. He doesn’t change progression every section. The verse, pre-chorus, and chorus all sit on the same four chords, and the song’s variety comes from the lyric and the rhythmic intensity rather than from harmonic movement. That’s a freeing lesson when you’re worried about needing to learn dozens of chords.