In this free video drum lesson, Jared Falk teaches you how to play a half-time shuffle drum beat known as the “Rosanna Shuffle”. This half-time shuffle drum beat is one of the most recognizable and essential shuffle drum beats out there. The “Rosanna Shuffle” is a challenging pattern to perform accurately, but with Jared’s step-by-step approach you’ll be playing it in no time.
This half-time shuffle drum beat was written by the late great Jeff Porcaro for Toto’s song “Rosanna” – hence the name “Rosanna Shuffle”. “Rosanna” is the opening track from Toto’s 1982 album and multi-Grammy award winner Toto IV. The song was named after the actress Rosanna Arquette, who dated Toto’s keyboardist Steve Porcaro. The song was written by Toto’s leader David Paich and it’s actually about three different girls he knew. David rolled them into one girl and christened her Rosanna, since he really liked how it sounded. So the song isn’t about Rosanna Arquette.
The hand pattern on the “Rossana Shuffle” was inspired by Bernard Purdie‘s half-time shuffle grooves on Steely Dan’s “Home At Last” and “Babylon Sisters”, and John Bonham‘s half-time shuffle groove on Led Zeppelin’s “Fool In The Rain”. The bass drum pattern is based on the tom-tom accent pattern played by Clifton James in the 1955 hit song “Bo Diddley”, which was inspired by the Afro-Cuban son-clave.
Once you’re pretty comfortable with the “Rosanna Shuffle”, we encourage you to play-along to Toto’s “Rosanna”. Playing along to the track will help you work on feel and touch, two essential ingredients behind playing the “Rosanna Shuffle” accurately. You can also use the Half-Time Shuffle play-along that we have on this website, to practice the “Rosanna Shuffle” or any of your own variations.
Enter your email to get sheet music for 100 of drumming’s biggest songs FREE.
Watch this, Jeff Porcaro playing it himself. Shuffle (example 3)…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug7cR3WfJgA&feature=related
The ghost notes are really faint but you know its there when he hits it.
Great lesson, Jared. It was thorough and well thought out. But please when you say Jeff’s last name, it’s pronounced Por-car-o (sounds like car).
Keep up the the good work, brother!
He’s Canadian. They say stuff weird.
very nicely done jared ,good job,thanks
What kind of cymbals are you using??
😮 its hard to learn
lol trollcomment.
Missunderstanded the Topic.
Cheers
The Song is not about Rosanna Arquette !
The band denied it several times !
See here at 0:35: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RapeIp26Is
Cheers
Yes the song is in fact about Roseanna Arquette. We all graduated Grant High School in 1975 and I was very good friends with Steve Porcaro and all the rest of the band members of Still Life …. this was the name of the group before Toto was born. There was quite a few famous musicians and actors to have come from our graduating class but the best time I had was music the classes I had with the Porcaros.
Great lesson! by the way.
What software do you use to write up your lesson resources
I’m very eeticxd to follow project run and play. You’ll do a great job. I’m also looking forward to apron week. I’m in need of an apron, and I’m sure that you won’t disappoint.
thank you very much u are absolute great person by the way i want to buy this drums lesson DVD so i can watch everyday and learn how to play drums
verry cool lesson! I love playing shuffle, please make a play along !
Done: http://www.drumlessons.com/drum-lessons/drum-play-alongs/half-time-shuffle/
yss….. i waited so long for this …thnkx a lot sir!!! for those amazing lessons!!!!:) 🙂
Porcaro shuffle… well done !!
a kind of sound that strange to me!! but when it done fast it is use on rock drumming