Last weekend went to see a group of kids called the Cottars from Cape Breton NS. One of the gals did a solo bit on the whistle that just seemed to resonate deep down with me. So I ordered me an O’brien 3 piece D. Been playing music steadily for over 40 years…guitar, mandolin and steel guitar. Figure learning a new one might help keep the alzhiemers at bay as the years roll on. I haven’t got my whistle yet and have never played one. What are the most important things to initially know to make music with a whistle? Thanks and I look forward to this new adventure and community. Your pal, Larry Otis
You should probably buy a tutorial I can reccommend two Bill Och’s and Grey Larsen’s those link to the Amazon Canadian site the latter is more through but the first has a really good selection of tunes.
Hi Larry. Welcome the exciting world of whistling. With your experience you know the first two imporant things. Practice, and do not quit. The most boring part to start with is the scales. I am guessing some players don’t play them and a few do?
Don’t try to play too fast, too soon. Learn accuracy, then speed–like typing.
(Yes, this is my mantra).
Welcome!
A couple of other random bits of advice: consider picking up a few cheap whistles as well - when starting out, you don’t always know where your personal playing preferences will end up, and cheap whistles are a good way to experiment.
Listen. A lot. I’ve still got a long ways to go, but most of the progress I’ve made has come from listening to the music and trying to figure out what the better players are doing. (Given your experience, you’re probably already doing this.)
Also, since you’re sort of SF Bay-area-ish, you might want to consider coming to one of the Bay Area C & F gatherings, even if you’re not attending regular sessions. Tony Higgins has hosted most of them (East Bay); I don’t know his current plans, but depending on interest I’ll probably host one sometime this winter here in San Jose, too. Many - most - of the people who show up are skilled musicians (and genuinely nice people), so it’s a good way to soak up technique and compare lots of whistles (and flutes, and pipes, and mandolins, and fiddles, and . . .) in a congenial environment.
Dana
Cead Míle Fáilte leat Larry!!
A hundred thousand welcomes to you Larry!
I am an almost one year old whistler, with a middle aged body, from Ireland.
Advice - - Ahh no not really - - just enjoy - – make it enjoyable - at any cost.
I have tended to go towards low whistles because I like the mellowness and similarity to the old Irish wooden flute. Low whistles have a big advantage for learners, I found they help you cut more slack from partners, family or friends - that counts for a lot in the first few months of practice. OK they need lots more puff and the fingering is a bit difficult - BTW the pipers grip is really well worth learning early on.
Hi Lotis—It’s nice to meet you. I’d say the main things are (and I’m repeating a lot of what has been said already):
- Make listening to the kind of music you are interested in part of your daily practice session. It doesn’t have to be the same instrument, just the same type of music.
- Make sure you are relaxing right from the start. Tension can lead to big problems. Don’t practice too long at a sitting.
- Practice SLOWLY and accurately. Don’t even think about fast.
- Find simple tunes you like to practice. Make up exercises for the note changes that don’t sound good.
- Once you find a tutorial and a few simple tunes, just stay focussed on that material for awhile. Don’t spend all sorts of time getting a lot of advice about new whistles and looking for tunes you don’t need yet. It will get overwhelming fast. And it takes away from practicing.
Some on-line tutorials that have simple tunes in audio and sheet music:
http://www.whistletutor.com/
http://nigelgatherer.com/whist.html
http://www.whistleworkshop.co.uk/home.htm
http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/index.html
Exercises to stretch and relax hand and fore arm muscles:
http://www.mindspring.com/~shin-on/handcare.html
All this advice is stuff I wish I would have done. I’m no expert. 
Three things Larry:
You are only gonna get one note at a time out of one a those things 
I believe that spankin’ is restricted to the Political Forum 
Welcome,
Denny
Er… that’s two things. The third is - watch out for Denny… he’s weird 
Seriously: welcome! 
If you’re a beginner, totally go with the Ochs tutor as linked by Unseen122. It’s a solid intro’ to whistlin’.
You’re going to have fun whether you like it or not…
Hi Larry ! Hope you enjoy your stay with us. As you know from your other instruments , perfect practice makes perfect. Find tunes that you like and are familiar with and play them at a comfortable pace until you “own” them . But , most of all …
Have a Great Day and FunWhistling !!
Initially, if you know the basic fingerings for all the notes, forget all about books and theories. Go to your favourite place in nature - perhaps a stony grotto by a stream and explore the wilderness with your instrument. Allow long silences to receive. Extemporise. Go slow. Delve into each note, bend it and twist it with love. Be an ersatz shakuhachi player with your whistle.
This is a good way to raise the muses in your whistle.
Maybe you might want to do this in the basement.
The examples of nature in my basement are not the sorts that make me want to twist notes with love!!! 
Dont chew the ends off as I used do! Dont take any advice from outlanders because the dont know a f***k about it. Do it your own way and have fun as well.
BTW Did you know that Dollar General sells a C plastic TW for one dollar and its as good as a 100 dollar fancy hand made by Tootles Of Tooting & Twat Of Twatford!
Welcome to bedlam … er … the Chiff, Larry.
The best way to go about learning the whistle … enjoy the music. With your musical background, once you’ve learned the fingerings you’ll be playing songs you already know within a week.
Have fun!
Judy
Welcome!
In addition to all the great advice already posted, I was going to suggest something similar: Play some tunes you already know. Once you have a tune in your head, getting it out via the whistle is a LOT easier. Movie themes, TV show tunes, commercials, folk songs, Christmas carols are all good candidates.