Francis' Drumming Blog

This time a timeless classic. I’m glad to share the full drum sheet music for “Mushanga” by Toto, from the album The Seventh One (1988) with Jeff Porcaro on drums. The song is a great example of how the application of rudiments can provide new ideas and grooves. Jeff Porcaro said this about the “Mushanga” rhythm:
“Steve Gadd had made a trip to PIT to give a clinic, and my father [Joe Porcaro] happened to be there. Then, later, my father showed me this fast samba that Steve played for the class. It had to do with an inverted paradiddle. ‘Mushanga’ is basically the sticking from that same thing. Then I added some stuff to it. The tom pattern came from listening to Floyd Sneed of Three Dog Night on the tune ‘King Solomon’s Mines’. There were all of these toms going on and that’s what I wanted to hear. So that was in my head when I was working on ‘Mushanga’. I’m still waiting for that original idea.” (Drum! Magazine, November/December 1991)

The main groove is based on two rudiments: a paradiddle on the second beat and a paradiddle-diddle on the upbeat of the third beat. These ideas are orchestrated between the tom rim, the toms, and the hi-hat with a half-time feel (bass drum in 4, snare on the third beat), as demonstrated by Jeff Porcaro in the instructional video Star Licks Master Session. All the subtle details such as the accents and the 16th note ghost note after the third beat make this groove memorable, a drum beat every drummer should know.

The full/note-for-note drum transcription is now available for purchase and includes a drum notation key and the separate transcription of the grooves and variations played.

---