Editing woes

Question

Alright.. I'm new to both GB and the forums. Hope this is in the right place.
So, I'm trying to get used to reading, using, and manipulation sheet music. I am a very visual thinker, so just toying with my midi keyboard with the instruments doens't get me far. I think of what looks like it should good, not what sounds like it should sound good. So to start, I'm trying to copy a song, then take it and layer it with various instruments, effects, etc and eventually create my own remix of it. The song is the Main Theme from the Metal Gear Solid games. I Googled some sheet music that I'm using to recreate the song via GB's note editor. This way, I don't have to worry about my music skills and sense of timing [specifically, my lack thereof] but I've run into some problems.
Original Song: http://downloads.ffshrine.org/soundtracks/Metal%20Gear%20Solid%202%20Sons%20of%2 0Liberty%20Original%20Soundtrack/01_''metalgear_solid''_maintheme.mp3
Sheet Music [page I'm stuck on]
http://www.arkasizer.com/rabite/images/metalgear_solid_theme3.gif
on the 4th row down on the lower half of the notation, there are a series of short, numerous notes. There are a few specific areas of trouble. There are a few specific areas of trouble.
1) the 'b' symbol next to some of the notes. Sometimes if I take a note and drag it slowly up or down the scale, it will appear, but othertimes I can't seem to 'find' that note. Is there a way to convert or 'force' the note to do that?
2) The 'dots' next to some of the notes. Similar to above, I can place a note with a dot next to it, but sometimes it goes away or doesn't go where I want it to. This, combined with 3) have been particularly troublesome, as I don't even know what exactly they mean. The dot means 1.5x the note? I think..
3) I understand that if two half-notes are close together they are connected by a bar [two bars for quarter notes, etc] but some of these notes have a bar, then like part or half of a second bar. I've sometimes been able to get this to appear, but usually on the wrong side of the note. Does it matter what 'side' it is on? I think it has to do with the timing.
Any and all help you could provide, either in way of explanation, links to useful sites or tutorials, anything at all, would be greatly appreciated. Sorry that I am being unclear, as I don't know much musical terminology. and GB probably isn't the best program for notation creation, but its the easiest way I can think of to get used to a visual represenation of what I'm trying to do.

Answer 1

Well,
I'm confused. If you do not understand how to read sheet music, then why are you trying to create a song using the notation window? Is it because you are copying the notes from sheet music? Put in your notes like you want to do, then go over to look at the grid and you will clearly see where on the scale that note is and in which octave it is. You might better understand the "construction" of a song...note for note...if you use the grid method. Visual orientation is very good in that. Neither method is so good without your applying more of your audio senses to creating the song, rather than your visual senses...although in either method you do need to see what you're doing.
the symbol that looks a bit like a "b" is a flat. The black keys on the virtual piano can be either a flat or a sharp which is this symbol "#"; depending on which white key it is near. the flats or sharp notations won't "appear" in the notation view unless your note is a sharp or a flat. Placing that note, when you're not sure what you're doing, is MUCH easier in the grid view.
Also,
I'm SO BAD at reading sheet music too. I got three beginner piano books intended for little children and struggle through it with those. Those books help me a lot with understanding what the notes are, but it doesn't make composing songs with Garageband any easier. More than anything else, I have to use my ears for that.