Major view
Db major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = C (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Gb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Vance Joy - Riptide - Chord
Key Db major – Bb minor Chords Db, Bbm, Ab, Gbmaj7 Easy key G (capo 6)
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Key: Db | A#m | Bbm
Capo: 0
Bbm Ab Db Db
Bbm Ab Db b
Bbm Ab Db
I was scared of dentists and the dark,
Bbm Ab Db
I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations,
Bbm Ab Db
Oh, all my friends are turning green,
Bbm Ab Db
You're the magicians assistant in their dreams.
Bbm Ab Db
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Bbm Ab Db
Ooh, and they come unstuck
Bbm Ab Db
Lady, running down to the riptide,
Db Bbm
Taken away to the dark side,
Ab Db
I wanna be your left hand man.
Bbm Ab Db
I love you when you're singing that song and,
Db Bbm
I got a lump in my throat 'cause
Ab Db
You're gonna sing the words wrong
Bbm Ab Db
There's this movie that I think you'll like,
Bbm Ab Db
This guy decides to quit his job and heads to New York City,
Bbm Ab Db
This cowboy's running from himself.
Bbm Ab Db
And she's been living on the highest shelf
Bbm Ab Db
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Bbm Ab Db
Ooh, and they come unstuck
Bbm Ab Db
Lady, running down to the riptide,
Db Bbm
Taken away to the dark side,
Ab Db
I wanna be your left hand man.
Bbm Ab Db
I love you when you're singing that song and,
Db Bbm
I got a lump in my throat 'cause
Ab Db
You're gonna sing the words wrong
Bbm Ab
I just wanna, I just wanna know,
Db Gbmaj7
If you're gonna, if you're gonna stay,
Bbm Ab
I just gotta, I just gotta know,
Db Gbmaj7
I can't have it, I can't have it any other way
Bbm Ab Db
I swear she's destined for the screen,
Bbm Ab Db
Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen, oh
Bbm Ab Db
Lady, running down to the riptide,
Db Bbm
Taken away to the dark side,
Ab Db
I wanna be your left hand man.
Bbm Ab Db
I love you when you're singing that song and,
Db Bbm
I got a lump in my throat 'cause
Ab Db
You're gonna sing the words wrong
Bbm Ab Db
Lady, running down to the riptide,
Db Bbm
Taken away to the dark side,
Ab Db
I wanna be your left hand man.
Bbm Ab Db
I love you when you're singing that song and,
Db Bbm
I got a lump in my throat 'cause
Ab Db
You're gonna sing the words wrong
Bbm Ab Db
Lady, running down to the riptide,
Db Bbm
Taken away to the dark side,
Ab Db
I wanna be your left hand man.
Bbm Ab Db
I love you when you're singing that song and,
Db Bbm
I got a lump in my throat 'cause
Ab Db
You're gonna sing the words wrong
Db Bbm
I got a lump in my throat 'cause
Ab Db
You're gonna sing the words wrong
End of song Play again?
Vance Joy - Riptide Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Vance Joy – Riptide: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Bbm and ends on Db. Its chords belong to both Db major and Bbm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
Bb minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Gb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = Ab (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the Db major side because it comes to rest on Db, it opens on Bbm and Db is heard 50 times against 38 for Bbm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from Bb minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to Db or to Bbm; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Db | Tonic — home | Db · F · Ab | 50× |
| ii | Ebm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| iii | Fm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | F · Ab · C | — |
| V/vi | F | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Bbmsecondary dominant | F · A · C | — |
| IVmaj7 | Gbmaj7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | Gb · Bb · Db · F | 2× |
| V | Ab | Dominant — strongest pull home | Ab · C · Eb | 38× |
| vi | Bbm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | Bb · Db · F | 38× |
| vii° | Cdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Bbm | Tonic — home | Bb · Db · F | 38× |
| ii° | Cdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | C · Eb · Gb | — |
| III | Db | Relative major — the bright side | Db · F · Ab | 50× |
| iv | Ebm | Subdominant — moves away from home | Eb · Gb · Bb | — |
| v | Fm | Minor dominant — soft pull | F · Ab · C | — |
| V | F | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | F · A · C | — |
| VImaj7 | Gbmaj7 | Submediant — warm colour | Gb · Bb · Db · F | 2× |
| VII | Ab | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | Ab · C · Eb | 38× |
Analysis
The key pair is Db major and its relative Bb minor (5 flats). 4 different chords appear 128 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- Ab Db DbV → Iauthentic cadence BbmVII → III ×38
- Gbmaj7 Bbm DbIVmaj7 → vi BbmVImaj7 → iVI → i ×2
The move to watch is Ab → Db, heard 38 times. From the Db side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Bbm side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- Db major pentatonic and Bb minor pentatonic are the same five notes (Db – Eb – F – Ab – Bb): start from Db for a brighter phrase, from Bb for a bluesier one.
- Over Db, land on Db, F, Ab — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Bbm, land on Bb, Db, F — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Ab, land on Ab, C, Eb — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With Db major shapes
- Capo 1 + C shapes
- Capo 4 + A shapes
- Capo 6 + G shapes
With Bb minor shapes
- Capo 1 + Am shapes
- Capo 6 + Em shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 6 semitones up · capo 6 keeps the original pitch
- 1 semitone down · capo 1 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
Starting on Bbm, the song gives away its key from the very first bar. The backbone is Db, Bbm, Ab, Gbmaj7 — I–vi–V–IVmaj7 from the Db side, III–i–VII–VImaj7 from the Bbm side. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on Ab → Db (V → I in Db, VII → III in Bbm): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. Ending on Db, the song seals Db as home.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Vance Joy - Riptide Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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