Banana Pancakes

How to play Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson on guitar

This song is a great one to learn because it has a relaxed, easygoing feel that still keeps your fretting hand busy. You get a smooth groove at a moderate pace, so it feels laid-back without being too simple. It is a good pick if you want to work on clean changes while keeping the music flowing.

Most of the chart uses open shapes like G, Am, F, Em, D, and C, but you will also need to handle the harder barre shapes Cm, Gm, F#m, Bm, and B. The main change to watch is the opening move from G to Am and then into Cm, since that shift can catch you off guard if you are not ready for the barre shape.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly until your fingers land cleanly every time. Then practice the barre shapes on their own, especially Cm, before putting them back into the full sequence. Once the changes feel steady, bring it up to tempo and focus on staying relaxed through each transition.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.