Yshai’s Journal

What these notes are about

• Instruments Choosing them and knowing them — darbuka, frame drums, riqq, upright. What to look for, what to avoid, and telling the families apart.
• Practice How to work. Building a daily habit that compounds, practicing toward the player you want to become, and walking the edge of your ability.
• Rhythm & Language Rhythm as a language — grouping as the building blocks of phrasing, and becoming free inside a groove.
• Technique The hands. Soft hands, the split-hand, ghost notes — and the quiet mistakes that cap your speed.
• Philosophy & Inspiration The inner work. Finding your voice, playing with presence, and the courage to keep going.