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If i understand you correctly, This issue is often up, and it is based on misunderstanding of the piano-roll.
You do not have to insert the first note in Beat1 tick1
F.i. There is nothing wrong in starting with the first note in 2. beats 3. tick.
So you can shift everything the needed number of beats a.o ticks, until you have the structure you want
-If the song then actually 'starts' at bar -1?! , well it cant, but you would simply just start the project at bar2, and use loop-markers to set the frame around your project
I do touch some of these aspects in the rookie-guide, link in signature.