This is how to play Riptide by Vance Joy on acoustic guitar and C diatonic harmonica. Standard tuning. No capo. Three beginner chords: Am, G, C.
This tutorial follows the 3-Day Blueprint: melody first, chords second, then combine both. By the end, you'll play Riptide as a one-person band.
The Three Guitar Chords
You only need three. If you've played guitar for more than a week, you know them.
- Am — second fret, D, G, and B strings. First string open.
- G — third fret low E, second fret A, open D, open G, open B, third fret high E.
- C — third fret A, second fret D, open G, first fret B, open high E.
The Strumming Pattern
Thumb — Down — Up — Down — Up or T— D— UDU
The thumb hits the bass note. Then four light strums. Count it: 1 (thumb) — 2 (down) — and (up) — 3 (down) — and (up).
Practice at 80 BPM with a metronome. Clean first, speed later.
The Chord Progression
Three chords in the chorus. I've jumbled them below on purpose — reorder them by ear as you watch the video. (Hint: it starts on the minor.)
G Am C
Once you've got the order, loop it until your right hand moves without thinking.
Riptide Harmonica Tabs (C Diatonic)
↑ = blow (exhale) into the hole
↓ = draw (inhale) on the hole
Number(4 or 5 or 3) = which hole on the harmonica
The full tabs are in the practice worksheet (linked below) with blanks to fill as you play along.
Here's how the first line reads:
↑5 ↑5 | ↑5 ↑5 ↑6 | ↓4 ↓4 ↓4 ↑4
The 3-Step Coordination Method
Playing harmonica on a rack while strumming is hard. Your brain wasn't built for it. These three steps bridge the gap.
Step 1: Rack Up
Harmonica in the rack. Hands over the strings. Don't strum yet.
Step 2: Air Strum
Play the harmonica melody. Move your strumming hand through the thumb-down-up-down-up pattern silently — without touching the strings. Your brain maps "melody" + "strumming motion" as one action.
Step 3: Let It Ring
Now let the strings ring. Hands handle the rhythm. Mouth handles the melody. You're a one-person band.
Practice Tracker — 5 Minutes × 3 Days
| Day | Focus | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Harmonica — just the tabs, loop until easy | 5 min |
| Day 2 | Guitar — Am, G, C with the strumming pattern | 5 min |
| Day 3 | Combine — Air Guitar Step first, then both together | 5 min |
Get the Practice Worksheet
I made a printable worksheet with the jumbled chords to reorder, tabs with blanks to fill, the Air Guitar Step explained, and the 3-day practice tracker.
Members-only access:
Have fun practicing.
Modern Harmonica + Guitar in 3 Days. It includes:
- 22 singable classics everyone knows.
- One C harmonica covers the entire book — no capo, no buying a set.
- Downloadable audio for practicing the hard parts — hear the target before you play it.
- A beginner guitar toolkit — the essential open chords, strumming patterns, and a Capo + Key chart for when you're ready to branch out.
Join the Band