[CJDG]

Pay attention to who is teaching you. He/she might be running you through a planned course of info. Just remember that you are scratching the surface here... getting basics out of the way.

Now for some of your questions.

Time can be kept anywhere... hi-hat, ride, bass, snare, or just in your head. The challenge is first to learn how to KEEP time... then work on moving it around.

Why do some drummers hit where the do? Many reasons... could be they are filling in a dead air space. Could be a pattern that is heard with the guitar, bass, or vocal. It also could just be a brand new element brought into the song by the drummer.

What steps do I go through. Well, I listen to the song for about a week, if possible, and then plan what I will play. If the piece is too complicated to memorize I then write it down. Songs are usually broke down into sections.... once you have the sections down it opens up what you are going to play.

What it all means is that your observations are just as much right as the next guy who uses a different method. The big deal is that you stay in TIME and that others listening to you can feel that "grove" you are talking about.