Two focused listens before you play
Give each listen a question to answer.
Before learning a new song on the kit, listen once for the vocal phrase. Notice where it begins, where it rests, and whether it carries across a section change. Write down any entrance you are unsure about.
On a second listen, follow the drums and the form. Mark where the groove starts, which sections change, and how the ending works. Rewind the uncertain passage instead of assuming that two listens must be enough.
Then play a straightforward part with the recording and check your notes. Use the melody, section order, or lyric entrances as landmarks, whichever you recognize most easily. Revisit the passages where your part changes and compare them with the version the band will play.