Left hand default, if any, when improvising in TP?

[Eric Swanson]

I am wondering what most of you are using as your default left hand position, in TP, when improvising.

I find that I habitually use the closed hand (m3rd) when soloing and open up to the extended hand (covering a P4th) less often. While I use the open hand for playing heads, hitting an easy 4th, reaching oddball notes, etc., I always seem to revert back to the closed hand, mostly.

I am working on undoing this habit, since it makes so little sense. I have been working on more stuff with the open hand, recently, switching back and forth between the open and closed fingerings. Better players than me, whom I was lucky enough to study with in the past, used both hand positions interchangeably.

We certainly use the open hand for "classical" stuff (with worked out fingerings, etc.). God knows you can reach a lot more notes, hence my motivation, but I haven't got it grooved into my musical mind/muscular memory yet, for improvising, really.

What are you good people using in TP; open hand, closed, or both? Please do flame me if this has been discussed ad nauseum (of for any other reason ); I couldn't find it in the archives.

[charlespf]

I feel like both approaches have their merits, depending on your situation, although I feel like sometimes it can be difficult to always be in tune when you're switching between the differing positions a great deal (Chromatic, Semi Chromatic, Diatonic), so because of that I like to base my approach basically on the chromatic position (Minor 3rd), and treat any other position as finger extensions.
I found Ray Parker's fingering thread to be really helpful:
Fingering
It covers a lot of fundamental thumb position stuff, and other pretty interesting ideas regarding fingering.

[Eric Swanson]

Thanks, Charles; sounds as if we are doing essentially the same thing.

That's such a great link. I have pored over it before; lots of great possibilities, there. Like many of us, I use various fingerings, in different situations.

I am still curious about what other folks find to be their default, while improvising their way through solos; do you find your fingering, closed, open, both, or neither?