Learn Italian: Senti il ragazzo suonare il tamburo e seguire il ritmo? - Do you hear the boy playing the drum and following the rhythm?

This is the main rule for verbs of perception like sentire (to hear) and vedere (to see). When you perceive someone doing an action, Italian uses the perception verb followed by the object (il ragazzo) and then the present infinitive (suonare, seguire). Unlike English, which often uses the '-ing' form for this, Italian strictly uses the infinitive.

Why is il ragazzo placed right after senti instead of before it?

In this sentence, il ragazzo is the direct object of the verb senti; you are hearing the boy. Because he is also the one doing the playing and following, he is placed directly between the perception verb (senti) and the action verbs (suonare, seguire). It works exactly like the English structure: 'hear (verb) the boy (object) play (infinitive).'

Could I use ascoltare instead of sentire in this sentence?

It would change the meaning. Sentire means 'to hear' (a physical sense), while ascoltare means 'to listen to' (paying active attention). Using senti asks if you are physically capable of hearing the drum right now, whereas ascolti would ask if you are actively focusing on it.

I've learned giocare means 'to play.' Why does this sentence use ?