Who hasn't been influenced by the groove on "Rosanna" by Toto? This song features a half time shuffle that could be played for days, by the late, great Jeff Porcaro (ex. 2).

The key to achieving a good feel for this are the grace notes, which are the very soft notes played between the strong notes, or backbeats. You want to get the grace notes to be the same volume as the hi-hat, so that if you played alternating notes, it would be difficult to tell which is which.

I start the tune with a one measure fill (ex. 1) and go right into the beat. Variations can consist of opening the hi-hat on the last triplet, or moving your hi-hat hand to the ride, while alternating the snare hand between the snare and hi-hat, or even the toms. Try adding some mounted percussion or splashes for even more variations. Keeping the backbeat on the snare while adding the other elements is very important for a strong groove.

At marker 2:21 I go into the full shuffle. There are many ways to play this and I give you two versions. Listening to a lot of blues groups, such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Thorogood can give you many more examples. Many jazz radio stations have blues segments, which are extremely helpful in getting more shuffle ideas.

At first, I play it pretty straight, but at marker 2:58 pay attention to the ghost strokes I use to thicken up the beat and change the feel slightly. Choosing the hi-hat or the ride can change the feel as well. Try alternating the tightness on the hi-hat from having it tight to letting the cymbals breathe. Have fun!

Form:

INTRO 8 bars (ride)
VERSE 16 bars
CHORUS 16 bars
VERSE 16 bars
BREAKDOWN 16 bars (cross-stick)
CHORUS 16 bars to fill, into full shuffle

INTRO 8 bars
VERSE 16 bars
CHORUS 16 bars
VERSE 16 bars
CHORUS 16 bars

Suggested Listening:

"Rosanna" by Toto
"Home At Last" (Bernard Perdie) by Steely Dan
"Fool In the Rain" (John Bonham) by Led Zeppelin
Anything by Stevie Ray Vaughan or George Thorogood