Max Roach – Blues Waltz (Drum Solo Transcription)

Max Roach has been the first to record an album entirely based on triple meter, unusual until the mid-fifties, recording as leader Jazz in 3/4 Time (1957) for the label EmArcy, with Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone, Billy Wallace on piano, George Morrow on double bass and himself on drums.

max roach blues waltz drum solotranscription

Here’s the transcription of the drum solo played by Roach on “Blues Waltz” (first track of the album), the interesting thing is how he organizes musical ideas into phrases of four bars. A characteristic of his drumming is the ostinato with foot played during the entire solo: with the bass drum on the first beat and the hi-hat on 2 & 3 (as can you hear, the hi-hat is open with the left foot on the second beat). The solo starts at 4:51 while the tempo of the tune is approximately 178 beats per minute, all the best.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF


Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.