Listening and playing

Using the theory.

Active listening

Follow one element at a time: the bass line, the drum pattern, the harmony changes. Naming what you hear is a trainable skill.

Count along to find the metre before anything else.
Notice where tension builds and where it resolves.

Learning an instrument

Short daily practice beats occasional long sessions, slow accurate repetition beats fast sloppy runs, and playing with other people improves timing faster than anything else.