Has being a "one man band"...

..hurt your musicianship?
Not only the ability to do it but also
the lack of inspiration from other musicians.
 
I don't mean bad in saying I'm not motivated
to record so I can post my songs, but it's true-I do think that
other "live" musicians are much more inspiring and give me
motivation to complete a recording. I guess it's more the trip
than the results for me so when I have time to do something
I enjoy I can easily do them. I mean it doesn't bother anybody...not
like there's other musicians driving me or me wanting to fulfill a
commitment.

Yeah, I feel you Space.  I'm always better when I'm working with someone, but often left to my own devices.  Nice to knock ideas around and get real-time feedback.  Although, I've never had an actual band, and "real-time" means chatting online and sending quick bounced mp3s.  Close enough. :)

 In some ways I think being a one man band can make a person push harder because you need to cover more territory with your skill set. If I were always playing in a 4 member band I would be more relaxed to let others cover those basses.

 OTOH I think that having THE RIGHT players in a group can consistently improve ideas and creativity.

 Don't know if you remember me saying that I was looking into a band. A few things about the female vocalist threw a red flag right away...one was her saying "my guitarist" and "my bass player" a simple thing and maybe I took it the wrong way but I seen myself as a "thing"of hers and not a band/team member. IOW this is my thing and you can tag along as opposed to a situation involving "us"....she also forgot update me on an upcoming gig and I seen the writing on the wall.  I just got bad karma from it all round'

 I would still love to get involved with the right people locally here where I am but the combination hasn't been right yet. Sunday we went to see a really good Celtic guitar duo. These guys made me really want to try and jump back in again. For now I'll be content to be a church pianist once a week and work in Sonar. I like that you can take your time in Sonar and make it whatever. No gig dates no deadlines I like that part of it.

For me over these last twenty years its been pretty much a trade off.  While my playing chops are certainly not what they once were (not even close) my production and engineering chops have improved dramatically.  I carped and carped for the longest time about how I was losing my performance chops so last year I decided to do something about them.  I...well...er...you know...practised.  I know, I know...get out your smelling salts if ya feel faint but I actually did and you know what?  No...go on...guess.  I got better pretty quickly.  It's like muscle memory I guess.  Still not at the level I want but I can hang again.  Looking back I don't think I'd change anything.  The new skills I've learned have earned me a (very modest) living lo these long years and I've managed to stay free of smoke and double breasted mattress thrasher filled rooms...which both I and my wife really appreciate;-)

That said, I do miss kickin out the jams in front of live audiences...guess that's my next project.

When I was in a band in California, the other songwriter would bring a song in and everyone would just play it as they liked. He rarely wanted them to change how/what they played.
I'm more of a control freak when it comes to my songs. I suppose you could say I was the Paul McCartney of the group, but without the power, knowledge and talent.
I definitely have a good idea how I want the song to be played, the drums, bass, everything. So I would tell them, "do it like this" and they did it.
That might be why we only played 2 of my songs, though.
I'm still the same way. I want to do it all.
But can't.
 

I see both sides to this..the up side and the down side.

I don't know which is which half the time.... 

I like not having to deal with 5+ people and attitudes and such nonsense..... when I want that, I come here to the coffee house and get my fill ..... 


On the other hand.... I can do exactly what I want, when I want, how I want without grief from anyone else complaining. 


However, the interaction of a fine grooving band of musicians who anticipate each other's moves and changes is a beautiful thing to be a part of....the one man studio can't replicate that... not even close.


I can show nuff get lazy though with all the tools available to me in this studio, so yeah, to some degree or another, the chops and skill set on the instruments suffers a bit from time to time...... right now, I'm going through a "get reacquainted" with finger calluses and get the chops back up a bit and knock off some of the rust..... tickling the ivories a bit too...

Greg I worked with musicians like you- in that they would tell how they would
like a part to go. I didn't mind and really took it as a challenge. Most of the time
I didn't say much about others...but they could read me good enough to ask.
I always enjoyed the music conversations. That instant idea inspired by the moment....and
never knowing which person it was going to hit.
That is the creative part I miss but I can't see that ever happening again.

Craig, that's right. Doing it all.
I guess something has to suffer for it.

Herb all the band stuff....that's history. Everything has changed and after
recovering from some devastating life dealings I thought that the ability
to record without others would give me the drive to get back on top of my game...
....isn't working out. All the time dealing with the computers, programs and the BS
that comes with them is just another distraction in my case obviously.

Oh well.

Rbh- you posted while I was typing.....I wish I had just asked you to post
for me....you said it very well.