Yshai Afterman Percussion School

Know the cycle. Speak the language.
Find your voice.

"Without knowledge, spirit is a hollow wind.
Without spirit, knowledge is a barren tree."
The Foundation

Three pillars.
One crown.

Three routes, interweaving from the first lesson — each one present at every level, each deepening with the student. The crown they converge toward is musicianship.

I When?

Knowledge of Time

Knowing the rhythmic cycle and groove intimately. The more deeply you inhabit a groove, the more freely you play inside it. Rhythmic orientation, traditional repertoire, foot bell — all in service of this.

II What?

Knowledge of Language

Technique, grouping, phrasing, composition — the full vocabulary of the drum. Not patterns to copy, but tools to create with. The means of expression, built rigorously so they can be used freely.

III How?

Knowledge of Expression

Music unfolds in time through tension and release — climax and anti-climax, like breathing. Acoustic dynamics, subdivision dynamics, phrasing dynamics: the branches of expression that make playing alive rather than correct.

The crown — Musicianship

All three pillars are present from the very first lesson, each one feeding the others. Every level is complete in itself. The deeper you go, the more they interweave — but the music is present from the start.

Greeting video — coming soon
A word from Yshai

The method, in his own words.

Hear directly from Yshai — what the method is, how it was built, and why it works the way it does. The teaching philosophy behind every level of every course.

15+ Years teaching online
1,700+ Group lessons taught
4 Complete curricula
The Courses

Choose your instrument

Each course is built around the same rigorous 10-level structure — Yshai's method, filmed from the ground up. Each level purchased separately, completed at your own pace.

Darbuka Course

Darbuka

The complete darbuka method — from your first doum to full artistic mastery. Technique, phrasing, independence, composition, and the deep rhythmic language of the instrument.

10 levels
Explore the course →
Lapstyle Frame Drum Course

Lapstyle Frame Drum

A deep journey into the most meditative and expressive of the four instruments — tone, resonance, phrasing, and the full vocabulary of Persian and Arabic frame drumming.

10 levels
Explore the course →
Riqq Course

Riqq

Master the classical tambourine of Arabic music — skin, jingles, and frame working together. A complete system for one of the most sophisticated and nuanced instruments in the tradition.

10 levels
Explore the course →
Upright Frame Drum Course

Upright Frame Drum

The standing frame drum — rooted in ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions. Equally at home in meditative and virtuosic playing, with its own complete technical language.

10 levels
Explore the course →
What students say

The method works.

Complete beginners and working professionals alike — studying the same method, each finding what they need. Yshai's serious students are becoming some of the finest Middle Eastern percussion players in the world. When a musician with thirty years of experience seeks out a teacher, it says something.

"Yshai embodies the rarest combination of being a master drummer and a genuinely caring pedagogue. Studying with Yshai has been the most enjoyable and effective learning experience I have ever had, and I am deeply grateful for the transformative impact it has had on my musical journey."

— Cindy Weitzman · USA

"His meticulous approach, his commitment to the art form, and deep musical insight have significantly expanded my skills — even after many years of drumming. He is fully present with his students, offering sharp observations and feedback that is truly invaluable."

— Marliese Gluck · Germany · Lapstyle Frame Drum

"I have been a professional musician since 1981. When I decided to deepen Middle East percussion — by far, Yshai is the best teacher I have ever had. He talks about the poetry of music and at the same time continuously crafts the tools of expression."

— Giovanni Lo Cascio · Professional musician since 1981 · Italy · Darbuka
Also available

More material, three ways.

Whether you want to go deeper into a level you're studying, work on one specific technique, or explore something outside the main curriculum — there's something in the shop for you.

For course students

Extra compositions, level by level

Every level of every course has optional supplementary material — additional compositions and exercises for students who want to go even deeper before moving on. Same system, more depth.

Darbuka Level I — Extra Compositions
5 additional pieces · notation included
Frame Drum Level II — Extra Compositions
4 additional pieces
Browse by level →
Any player

Focused technique packs

Not looking for a full system — just one specific thing? Each technique pack targets a single concept: a handful of exercises, compositions, and video explanations. No prerequisites.

The Split Hand Bundle
Darbuka · 4 videos · 2 compositions
Jingle Control Bundle
Riqq · 3 videos · 2 compositions
Browse technique packs →
Special topics

Bonus material

Topics that go beyond any single course — brush technique, special rhythmic subjects, and other material that deepens the playing of anyone who studies it, at any level.

Brush Technique Bundle
All instruments · video series
More bonus packs
Available in the shop
Browse bonus packs →
Ready to begin?

Choose your instrument and start Level I

Every course starts at Level I. You don't need prior experience — only the commitment to go deep. Buy one level, see how it works, and continue from there.

Darbuka → Lapstyle Frame Drum → Riqq → Upright →