All,
I have been playing the whistle for sometime, but I find that I practice on many differnet types of whistles and keys. So my question is; should I just learn the basics on one whistle, (ie) learn the fingering, breathing, just the basic’s of whistle, then move on to different keys after you are confident in that one? make sense? 
thanks,
Paul
I didn’t know I had a son*…
I would imagine it would be best to stick with one whistle for a good while, that way you’re not having to deal with different finger spacings. Thats the only thing I can think of. I mean, unless you can do it, then go for it. I played a D whistle for about 10 months before I bought a C and Eb whistle. And those aren’t much different in spacing compared to a D. But that’s just me.
Don’t know how those ‘in the know’ feel about it, but I find it helpful to change whistles every once in a while, as it makes me practice the adjustments of mouth, breath, and finger spacing more, and challenges my skills as I am learning… each whistle has slightly different temperment, requirements and subtleties of character, but the fingering, accent and breath techniques work with all of them. Changing occasionally keeps you on your toes.
I tend to agree with anniemcu. I started out on the quest for the “Holy Grail of Whistledom”. You know . that whistle that would have such a magical sound that you would instantly be swept away to some whistling Nirvana. In the attempt , I bought and played a lot of whistles. In addition to helping me become far more flexible regarding my attitudes about the “perfect whistle”, I taught me to adjust to the minor differences in the various whistles more quickly. Even today , as I write this , I’m looking at 15 to 20 different whistles , on my computer desk , that go through their turn when the whistling bug strikes. They , periodically get replaced by others and the vicious cycle of WhOA continues.
My point simply is that whistling is a very individual thing. IMO , if you can enjoy playing various whistles and deal with their idiosyncracies as you go , you’ll be more flexible , adaptable , and develop your playing ability more rapidly. If , however , you find that using multiple whistles is confusing and slowing your progress , by all means stick to your current “favorite” and whistle your little heart out !! Nice thing is , It’s your call !! But , most importantly …
Have a Great Day and Fun Whistling !!
Since I have low whistles as well, I play them frequently, so I don’t “loose the hang of it”. One day I want to play my low F, another day the low D, the C, the D… For me, I don’t care which I choose. But you need to maintain your playing on the low whistles. It’s easier to get back to a high whistle after some time without playing than with a low whistle.
I haven’t played for more than about a half year. This is how it works for me.
When first starting to learn a new tune…or memorizing it…I generally stick with the same whistle to get it under my fingers. Afterwards I tend to practice on several different whistles to make sure that I have truly learned the piece. As mentioned and you can see from the other postings, it is quite an individual’s preference and what works for them. Different players, different whistles, different interests, different learning styles, etc.
Hot topic on the flute forum! There are those who say stick with one instrument until you’re fully formed. And other fickle fluters who keep switching to find the one that best suits their style. But flutes are a little more idiosyncratic, requiring all kinds of contortions from the lips of their faithful players.
Whistles are different. Unlike other kinds of monogamy, whistle monogamy is not necessarily considered a virtue. In terms of frugality, yes, but if you’re able to afford it, why not play around? 
Jennie
I started as many other players with a soprano D,and for some years itwas my only whistle key,till I needed a A for a Band I had a few concerts with cause the singer had a tend to sing deeper keys so I needed a low whistle.
and the following of it were some other wistles,and the kind of ´whistle crazyness´ had finally a really new victim ,and that after 2 years of being a pro already 
.So,today I really enjoy playing and learning tunes in several keys ,sometimes you see that a tune sounds better in this key or in another key.
I currently work with D,Bb,A and low D ,so you have a range of variation keys like Bb is also open for Eb ,F an Cmin ,or A for various other keys.
I really think that this kind of learning is a good idea,and not to be fixed on one key only
I think this is a good rule of thumb also. But not if one is new to the world of whistling. If a person is new, I believe they should stick with one Key, not necessarily one brand of whistle. I say this, because I feel that if a person really learns on one Key, and for a good while, at least until they get a good grasp of playing it, (mainly the finger spacings is what I’m worried about) they can focus on whats important, ornamentation, timing, scales, simply playing it, things like that etc., vs having to worry about placing their fingers or if they’re gonna hit the hole consistantly or not. I have whistles from high G to low D, (not every single key in between, but a lot of them) And I myself play all of them frequently, just for the sake of practice, and not forgetting the finger spacings for each other whistle. As well as to not forget their unique behavioral characters that each of my whistle have. And saying that, I agree with whoever said the part about staying in practice with the Lower keyed whistles… (for me it would be low Eb and D) If you don’t, it is harder to get back into the swing of things verses the soprano whistles such as D.