Here’s a drum transcription of the intro and head of “Night Dreamer” by Wayne Shorter, with Elvin Jones on drums. The composition is a medium jazz waltz with a driving groove and modal harmony. That’s a perfect tune to work on 3/4 stuff and develop coordination and independence.
To master this tune, I suggest working on foot coordination, focusing on the bass drum, hi-hat, and ride cymbal. In the beginning, you can play the hi-hat on 2 and 3 (bass drum on dotted quarter notes) and then add some snare comping ideas. After that, try playing the hi-hat on the upbeat of 1 and the downbeat of 3. As notated in the transcription, Elvin Jones alternates these two hi-hat ostinatos. Keep on drumming!
