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Editor’s notes
In this video I’ll teach you how to play “Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson - complete with chords, strumming pattern, and intro tab. This is one of my favorite Jack Johnson songs to play, even though it requires quite a bit of practice to get down smoothly! I hope this lesson helps.
Lyrics w/ chords
MAIN RIFF
e –––––––––––––––––––––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––
B –––––––––––––––––––––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––
G –––––––––––––––––––––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––4–––
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––x––5–––––––––––––––––––––––––––x––3–––
A ––––––5–––––––––––––––––x––7–––––––––5–––––––––––––––––x––5–––
E ––/7–––––7––5––3––0––5––x––5–––––/7–––––7––5––3––0––3––x––3–––
Am7 G7
INTRO
riff → Am7 ... riff → G7 ....
(riff) Am7
Well, can’t you see that it’s just raining
(riff) G7 D7
There ain’t no need to go outside... but baby,
VERSE
G7 D7 Am7 C7
You hardly even notice... when I try to show you this
G7 D7 Am7 C7
Song is meant to keep you... from doing what you’re supposed to
G7 D7 Am7 C7
Waking up too early... maybe we could sleep in
G7 D7 Am7 C7
Make you banana pancakes... pretend like it’s the weekend
CHORUS
Am7 (riff) G7
Now... and we could pretend it all the time, yeah
G7 (riff) Am7
...... can’t you see that its just raining
Am7 (riff) G7 D7
...... there ain’t no need to go outside... but just maybe,
Laka ukulele, Mama made a baby
Really don’t mind the breakfast ‘cause you’re my little lady
Lady, lady love me, ‘cause I love to lay here lazy
We could close the curtains, pretend like there’s no world outside
We could pretend it all the time
Can’t you see that it’s just raining
There ain’t no need to go outside
BRIDGE
Am7 G7
Ain’t no need, ain’t no need... Hmmmm, hmmmm mmmm...
Am7 G7
Can’t you see, can’t you see... Rain all day and I don’t mind
Am7 D7
The telephone’s singing ringing, its too early don’t pick it up
Am7
We don’t need to, we’ve got everything we need right here
D7
And everything we need is enough
Bm
Just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms
Em D C
Do we really need to pay attention to the alarm
G7 D7 G7 D7
Wake up slow, hmmm mmmm, wake up slow... but baby,
You hardly even notice... when I try to show you this
Song is meant to keep you... from doing what you’re supposed to
Waking up too early... maybe we could sleep in
Make you banana pancakes... pretend like it’s the weekend now
And we could pretend it all the time, yeah
Can’t you see that its just raining
There ain’t no need to go outside
Ain’t no need, ain’t no need
Rain all day and I really, really, really don’t mind
Can’t you see, can’t you see
You gotta wake up slow
Chord progression cheat sheet
The two progressions used for most of the song look like this. Note how in the verse, you’re on each chord for 2 counts. In the chorus and bridge, you stay on each chord for 8 counts.
Verse:
"You hardly even notice..."
G7 D7 Am7 C7
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Chorus and bridge:
"Telephone is ringing singing, it's too early don't pick it up"
"We've got everything we need right here, and everything we need is enough"
Am7 D7
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
"It's so easy when the whole world fits in your arms..."
Bm Em D C
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
"Wake up slow, wake up slow"
G7 D7 G7 D7
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
How to play the chords
Here are how to play the guitar chords used in this song, notably in the bar chord style that Jack Johnson uses. Note, these are tough – especially if your goal is to play the entire song (muscles can get tired). If you don’t know barre chords yet, see the net section. Also - you can omit the “7” note of each of these chords if you want (e.g., turn G7 into a G). I’m including them here because that’s how Jack Johnson plays most chords in most songs - but it isn’t truly required in a strict sense.
e ––––3–––––5–––––5–––––3–––––7–––––7–––––
B ––––3–––––7–––––5–––––5–––––7–––––8–––––
G ––––4–––––5–––––5–––––3–––––7–––––7–––––
D ––––3–––––7–––––5–––––5–––––7–––––9–––––
A ––––5–––––5–––––7–––––3–––––9–––––7–––––
E ––––3–––––––––––5–––––––––––7–––––––––––
G7 D7 Am7 C7 Bm7 Em7
If the above chords are giving you trouble (which is okay, they’re tough) - then use the standard open chords. You can combine these with the main riff and things sound just fine! To be honest, when I play this song complete from end to end, I usually have to use these open chords sometimes just because my hand/wrist muscles get fatigued from dealing with the barre chords.
e ––––3–––––2–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––0–––––
B ––––0–––––1–––––1–––––1–––––3–––––0–––––
G ––––0–––––2–––––2–––––0–––––4–––––0–––––
D ––––0–––––0–––––2–––––2–––––4–––––2–––––
A ––––2–––––––––––0–––––3–––––2–––––2–––––
E ––––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–––––
G D7 Am C Bm Em
How to Play the Riff
There is one distinct riff used throughout this song. Here is how you play it. You’ll want to use your ring finger on the lowest E string, and initially slide your finger up to the 7th fret (which is the first proper note of the riff).
e ––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––––––––––––––––––
G ––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––5––––––––––––––––
E –––/7–––––7––5––3––0–––– <--- use your left ringer on the first note
To properly transition from this riff into the G7 or Am7 chord, you’ll need to add the bass note for the chord to the tail end of the riff. Here is the complete intro tabbed in context, using the core of the riff above.
e -|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––5–––––|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––|–
B -|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––5–––––|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––––|–
G -|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––5–––––|––––––––––––––––––––––––––––4–––––|–
D -|–––––––––––––––––––––––––x––5–––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––x––3–––––|–
A -|–––––––5–––––––––––––––––x––7–––––|–––––––5–––––––––––––––––x––5–––––|–
E -|–––/7–––––7––5––3––0––5––x––5–––––|–––/7–––––7––5––3––0––3––x––3–––––|–
Am7 G7
Secondary riff
e –––––––––––––––––––––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––
B –––––––––––––––––––––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–––
G –––––––––––––––––––––––––––5––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––4–––
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––x––5–––––––––––––––––––––––––––x––3–––
A ––––––5––7––5–––––––––––x––7–––––––––5–––––––––––––––––x––5–––
E ––/7–––––––––––7––0––5––x––5–––––/7–––––7––5––3––0––3––x––3–––
Am7 G7
Occasional verse filler riff
There’s a riff I play 0:17 seconds into my video lesson that I want to show the tab for here. It happens during the verse progression (G7-D7-Am7-C7)… where instead of going to the final “C7” chord I do this riff immediately after the Am7. The riff happens under the “*” asterisk shown below.
*
e ––––––3–––––––5–––––––5–––––––––––
B ––––––3–––––––7–––––––5––––––––––– Fingering below applies to the final 3 note riff only:
G ––––––4–––––––5–––––––5–––––––––––
D ––––––3–––––––7–––––––5–––––5–7––– <== use left index (5th fret) and left ring (7th fret)
A ––––––5–––5–––5–––––––7––/7––––––– <== slide with left ring finger
E ––3–––3–––––––––––5–––5–––––––––––
G D7 Am7
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Strumming patterns and rhythm
This is the final piece of the puzzle. To play this like Jack Johnson, there are in fact two distinct strumming patterns used in this song: one during the verse, and another during the chorus & bridge. You can of course strum things however you want, but I’ll teach you both of these patterns now.
Verse strum pattern
This strum pattern has a very distinct accented strum on the “2” and “4” counts - which is muted immediately after it’s played. To mute (silence) the strings, use the fleshy part of your right hand’s palm to lightly touch all strings - see my video lesson for reference. Another tip: notice how the bass note of each chord is played on the “1” and “3” counts. Again listen to the song and see my video lesson for reference.
Here’s a simple way to write it (though this doesn’t show some of the intricacies of muting the strings and targeting the bass notes).
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
> > > >
Tabbed out, it would be:
e –––––––––3–x–––––––––5–x–––––––––5–x–––––––––3–x–––
B –––––––––3–x–––––––––7–x–––––––––5–x–––––––––5–x–––
G –––––––––4–x–––––––––5–x–––––––––5–x–––––––––3–x–––
D –––––––––3–x–––––––––7–x–––––––––5–x–––––––––5–x–––
A –––––––––5–x–––5–––––5–x–––––––––7–x–––3–––––3–x–––
E –––3–––––3–x–––––––––––––––5–––––5–x–––––––––––––––
G7 D7 Am7 C7
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
> > > >
Chorus & bridge strumming pattern
This one is a bit more constant and less punctuated. You still want to keep the accent on the 2 and 4, but in this case those counts will have a muted downstrum that’s accented. This is very common for Jack Johnson. See my video lesson for reference!
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D U x U D U x U D U x U D U x U
> > > >
Good luck!
Thanks for reading! I hope this helped you. Questions? Comments? Requests? Let me know!
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