Learn to play "Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson on the guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Jack Johnson's super chill tune, Banana Pancakes, on the guitar. It's a classic for a reason, and we'll break it down together step by step. Even though it sounds pretty laid-back and simple on the surface, there's some cool stuff going on that we can dive into.

Jack plays this song in a few different ways – on electric with a pick, acoustic with a pick, and acoustic with his fingers. We're going to focus on the fingerstyle approach here. If you're more comfortable with a pick, the notes are pretty much the same; you need to make a slightly bigger motion with your hand.

Let's get to it!

The Cool Intro Riff

We start with that iconic little riff that kicks off Banana Pancakes. It's a fun little sequence of notes that sets the whole vibe. We start with a slide on one of the thicker strings, then some notes on the fifth string, and then back and forth. There's also an open string and another little slide in there. It might sound tricky at first, but once you get the hang of the movement, it'll feel natural. Sometimes, Jack changes the fingering slightly, but don't worry too much about that – the important thing is to get the general feel of the riff.

Now, a slight variation of this riff happens just the first time it's played with the vocals when he sings, "Can't you see that it's just raining." It's a little different from how we play the riff the rest of the time. While it's good to be aware of this initial variation, don't stress too much if you don't nail it perfectly every time.

Grooving Through the Verses

Once the intro riff has played a couple of times, we move into the verses. The chords you'll be playing here are a G, a D7, an Am7, and a C7. Now, that Am7 is a barre chord. Getting all the notes ringing out clearly can be challenging, but you'll get it with good pressure on your finger and a little practice. The C7 is also a barre chord, and you'll want to ensure one of your fingers is muting the thickest string.

Rhythmically, in the verses, we often play the chord's bass note with our thumb and then do a little strum or hit on the other strings with our fingers. It's got a bit of a one-two feel to it, and we're pumping the chord by slightly relaxing the pressure of our fretting hand to stop the sound. This gives it that nice, percussive feel rather than just letting the chords ring constantly. For the C chord, you might often hear a pattern of bass notes, then an up strum, then a down strum, then another up strum. This rhythmic part is key to getting the feel of the song right, so it's worth spending some time to get comfortable with it. It's all about keeping it nice and relaxed. Jack's playing always looks so effortless, and a big part is how relaxed his rhythm hand is. It's a good reminder for all of us to try and stay loose and relaxed while we're playing. Even the little hits should have that relaxed vibe.

Cruising Through the Chorus

When we get to the chorus, the chord progression changes slightly. You'll mainly be playing an Am7 and a G. The rhythm here has a cool groove, too. It's often a thumb pluck on the bass note, then an up strum, then another hit or strum upwards, often using your first finger. It's got a bit of a "one and two and three and four and" kind of feel. Again, the emphasis is on getting that nice percussive hit with your strumming hand without tensing up your fretting hand. These kinds of rhythms can take a bit of practice to get the hang of, so be patient with yourself and start slow. The first goal is to get the mechanical movements right, and then you can focus on keeping your fretting hand relaxed to get that smooth groove.

That Little Bridge Section

Then we have the bridge, which offers a little change-up in the chords. You'll start on that familiar Am7, but then you'll move to a slightly different kind of D7 chord. In the verses, we used a smaller, more percussive D7, but it opens up a bit more in the bridge. This change in the D7 helps the bridge stand out. After the D7, you'll go to a C, then a G, back to that more open D7, and then another G before going into some of those percussive hits we talked about earlier.

There's even a bit of alternating bass going on in the bridge sometimes, where the bass note you play with your thumb might switch between different strings. Don't worry too much about catching every single nuance right away; focus on getting the main chord changes and the general rhythm down first.

Wrapping Things Up

Banana Pancakes has a lot of cool little details if you really want to nail it perfectly. However, it's also a song that you can simplify to begin with. Focusing on getting the chords right and keeping a simple strumming pattern is a great place to start. It might feel like an intermediate-level song because of all the different elements, but it's also a fantastic tune for developing a bunch of new guitar skills.

I really hope you have a blast learning this song. Jack Johnson's music has such a great, feel-good vibe, and it's always a pleasure to play. So, take your time, be patient with yourself, and most importantly, have fun with it! Now, make sure to check out the video for a full demonstration and to see all these techniques in action. You got this!

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