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Flake
by Jack Johnson • Lesson #454 • Sep 24, 2022
In this week’s lesson I’ll teach you to play Flake by Jack Johnson, from his 2001 debut album. I’ll begin by teaching things exactly as Johnson plays them, including the barre chords (showing a few helpful tips to simplify them) and also the strumming pattern — which I’ll walk through step-by-step. At the end of the lesson I’ll show a preview of my easy-going fingerstyle arrangement, should you want an easier way to perform this great song. Enjoy!
Part 2 - Fingerstyle Version
Here’s my deep-dive into the fingerstyle version I preview at the end of my free lesson. I’ll show how you can play this song using chord shapes in the Key of C, which avoids barre chords altogether. Similarly, I’ll be using an easy-going fingerpicking pattern which still manages to capture Johnson’s percussive vibe. Requires Song Notes Premium membership to view.
Print-Friendly Song Sheet 3 pages
Follow along with my print-friendly guide for this song! It’s available for purchase at Musicnotes.com, the web’s leading provider of licensed sheet music.
On the fence? Here's a guide I made showing the purchase & print process, including answers to common questions about my song sheets.
Buy at Musicnotes.comLesson Discussion
Jack Johnson Recordings of Flake
His album version from 2001:
Jack w/ Ben Harper (Live in Australia, 2003):
Jack solo (2002 on Late World with Zach Galifianakis):
Jack w/ his band (Farm Aid 2012) - notice how this is played in the key of E, instead of F! All chords are moved down 1/2 step (that is, 1 fret):
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Hey there! My name is David Potsiadlo, and I'm the creator of the 400+ weekly lessons here at Song Notes, going back to 2013. Here’s my guitar story »
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