Yshai Afterman Percussion School
Group lessons and private tuition in Darbuka, Lapstyle Frame Drum, Riqq, and Upright Frame Drum — built on a complete pedagogical system developed over decades.
Inspired by my teachers and years of deep practice, I developed a method that leaves nothing out — technique, musical understanding, rhythmic phrasing, coordination, and spirit. It is the method I wish I had when I was starting out.
The goblet drum at the rhythmic heart of Middle Eastern music. Known for its sharp, resonant tone, dazzling speed, and its central role in ensemble playing and solo improvisation.
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A large single-headed drum held across the lap, with deep roots in Persian, Turkish, and Arabic music. Its warm tone and extraordinary dynamic range make it one of the most expressive instruments in the percussion world.
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The classical tambourine of Arabic music — a rhythmic orchestra in one instrument. Crisp tones, shimmering sustain, dry snaps, and cascading rolls. Few instruments offer this much colour in a single pair of hands.
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A frame drum played standing, held vertically. Rooted in ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions — equally at home in meditative, trance-like playing and in rich, virtuosic expression.
Learn moreMost percussion teaching can show you what to play. Very few teachers can show you how to think. What Yshai has built is a complete pedagogical system — not a collection of phrases, but a musical language that students genuinely internalise and make their own.
Students who come having studied with other programs often describe the same experience: that they are, in a real sense, starting again. Not because they haven't worked hard — but because the depth, structure, and musical thinking here are unlike anything else available for these instruments online.
Masterclasses, open mics, and community gatherings.
An online masterclass on rhythmic awareness for phrasing freedom. Open to community members.
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A monthly gathering for the percussion community — come to perform, share, or simply enjoy the music.
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A masterclass with the renowned Indian ghatam player — one of the most celebrated percussion artists in the world of Carnatic music.
Register →As part of an ongoing effort to inspire and motivate his students, Yshai brings the world's top percussion masters for exclusive masterclasses — available to all group and private students.
"I have been studying with him for almost 4 years now and I feel so lucky for the day I started. Beyond the fact that he is an amazing person and a gifted musician, he is truly the best teacher I have ever had — and I have been studying music my entire adult life. Anyone who starts will discover how organized and simple everything is. Yshai takes you step by step from the basics to the highest level. Thank me later."
"Yshai is one of the best teachers I have ever experienced. He has created a beautiful, comprehensive system for the development of skills and techniques — and through his teaching, empowers us to become better musicians, to learn to listen, to develop a feel and a keener sense of time, and the inspiration to improvise and compose."