The YouTube channel "Drumeo" has a series of videos where they invite professional drummers into their studio and then play them a song they don't know, with the original drums removed - so they just hear vocals, guitars, etc.. And they're asked to play drums to the song. It's usually something out of their style, so it's a bit of a challenge. Most people come in, give the song a listen a two, take notes, get the feel for the overall song, chart out sections, etc.. And they give it a few tries all the way through. The end result is always pretty fascinating, and impressive. They're rarely exactly the same as the original, but they make it work. At the end they hear the original back and see how they did - they're usually pretty humble about it.
But Chad Smith, of Red Hot Chili Peppers, is no ordinary professional drummer. No note taking for this guy...
Watch this.