Nightowl I had a piece in mind that I thought was ready, but tried to record it last night and seemed to play it worse with every attempt!
What I've learned is do not make recording an event that you work up to, be nervous about, and only do occasionally as if it is a special occasion. It's a lot easier to just record the whole session every time you practice, note down the good run through, and make a cut of that performance as soon as possible. I save the first run that's almost presentable, then keep working on the piece and keep saving any run that has marked improvement. Usually when I get 5 or 6 edited and saved recordings, the piece is polished enough for an online recital.
I know this approach is different from preparing a piece for live performance standard. (And I do continue work on pieces after I have a satisfactory recording.) But this always-recording workflow is much less stressful for beginner like me.
Last but not least, listening to recording of my own playing, and watching the video, has proven to be super helpful in finding flaws in my technique and artistry.
