Sometimes the most useful part to follow is the one that appears to do the least. A small recurring figure can provide a steady point of reference while voices, chords and percussion move around it.
Find a manageable anchor
Choose a passage where one pattern is easy to recognise. It might be a few keyboard notes, a short guitar shape or a repeated percussion sound. Listen to the whole passage once before deciding which part to follow.
On the next pass, mark each apparent return with a small stroke on paper. Do not assume every version is identical. If the last note or timing seems different, add a question mark and check it later.
Notice the surroundings
At three points, describe what happens around your anchor. Perhaps the voice enters, another instrument drops out or the lower sounds become more active. Keep the descriptions concrete before adding an interpretation.
A pattern can feel newly prominent when surrounding layers disappear, even if it has not become louder. That is an observation to test against this recording, not a universal explanation.
Listen once without taking notes
Return to the whole passage. Does knowing the recurring part change where your attention goes? Pair the exercise with a fresh listen to a familiar song. The aim is to find a dependable route through the music, then let yourself hear beyond that route again.