Most whistle players play with their instrument pointed straight out from the middle of their mouth. Many years ago, I got into the habit of blowing it out of one side (generally right, occasionally left). I remember I saw someone do this a long time ago. I thought it was Tommy Makem, but when I see pictures of him, he doesn’t do it this way at all. Then I’m thinking it was one of the guys from the Canadian group Ryan’s Fancy, with whom Tommy Maken used to have a t.v. show. There is a definite difference in chiff between playing it straight-ahead and holding it off to the side. I prefer the latter, but I always recommend to my whistle students in my workshops that they learn it thr “right” way (not that one way is any more correct than the other, I suppose). I have to make a conscious effort to hold the whistle straight while I teach.
My question is, where did I pick this habit up? Who did I see that encouraged me to try this manner of playing? Is there anyone else here who holds his/her whistle off to one side?
Tom Bingham
tomandceil@bigsplat.net
tomandceil@hotmail.com
Might have been this guy…
I have noticed that on a low whistle, it is sometimes easier to hit the low D and E playing the whistle to the side of the mouth.
Joe
I play this way sometimes, especially when I’m playing on the couch with my knees up and a book in my lap. I haven’t noticed any major difference in the sound when I play this way, perhaps because I’m concentrating more on the notes than the sound.
Tony, thanks, but it wasn’t Davy Spillane. I’ve been playing over twenty years, and I believe the whistle player(s) I saw playing that way predated my own playing by some years. I first heard of Spillane sometime in the 80’s, when I was doing a traditional Irish radio program, but don’t recall actually seeing him till Riverdance became popular.
Tyghress, I do notice a difference in the “spit ratio” between playing the two ways. It always seems to me that straight-ahead is a “spittier” sound, but perhaps that only reflects my saliva production. (Not meaning to be gross here; it’s the best way I can explain it)
Tom
I started playing out of the side of my mouth when I started Low-D whistle. I play right handed (not lefty as in the above picture.) I find it makes my right hand reach to the bottom 3 finger holes easier.
I hesitate to mention that it does have one other important advantage. When the spii … hmm … moisture collects in the barrel and drips out the end, it drips on my right pants leg. This is advantageous over dripping down the center for one important reason. If it drips down the center, the resultant embarassing spot on my pants leads the bartender to assume I’ve had too much Guinness and I then have to pay to wet my whistle.
Side, center, wet or dry its how you …
Enjoy Your Music,
Lee Marsh
[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-02-25 16:24 ]
"Information Release from Mr. Davey Spillane:
Mr. Spillane wishes to state clearly that he created his own style of playing out of the side of his mouth and has never used a style of side-mouth-playing created by anyone else.
If the members of the Chiff and Fipple message board persist in spreading this inaccurate, incorrect and . . . wrong mis-information defaming the creativity of Mr. Spillane, we will have no choice but to pursue legal remedies: we’ll sue your fipples off! So KNOCK IT OFF!
Have a nice day!
Timbre, Bellnote and Tonal
Attorneys at Law"
At least that’s the way I heard it. 
Vinny
I have a book with a picture of the late, great Micho Russell. He plays with the mouthpiece in the centre of his mouth but the whistle is angled to his right (rather than straight out). I have tried playing like this and it does enable me to hear much better. I don’t find it as intuitive as straight out but perhaps that would come in time.
I admit to being a side-blower as well, But I think I developed this style so I could hear myself play in the worship band we have at church. Interestingly, though, I play my Low D straight on! And yes, the side style also lets me reach the holes easier.
I tried playing sideways, but I find it difficult to get the air pressure I need to hit the upper octaves on my more demanding whistles. So generally, I play “straight”.
At a whistle workshop at a festival I went to one time, playing with the whistle to one side was recommended as a way of hearing yourself in a loud environment. The fipple is closer to your ear and the sound isn’t blocked by your face. There were about 30 whistlers in the room and I couldn’t hear a note I was playing without holding it to one side.
Matt Bivins from the screwy band Jump, Little Children often plays his whistles like this. I asked him once why, and he was like “I dunno, I guess it’s because I’m just totally gay” or something to that effect. (no, he’s not actually gay)
Matt is strange.
shrugs
My husband plays his low whistle to the side. It comes from so many years playing saxophone I think.
On 2002-02-25 18:41, NancyF wrote:
My husband plays his low whistle to the side. It comes from so many years playing saxophone I think.
So when you gonna get him a whistle? 
I learned to play the bigger whistles out of the right side of my mouth because it is much easier on the lower right wrist. The joint is naturally straight then and it feels much better. With the whistle straight in front the right wrist joint is more contorted and begins to hurt quite quickly.
Then again, I’m totally deaf in my right ear so maybe it’s a matter of self preservation…not being able to hear myself play!
You don’t happen to smoke do you?? I don’t recall ever seeing a smoker do it straight out of the mouth…always to one side.
[ This Message was edited by: John Allison on 2002-02-26 02:29 ]
Question is, can you play out of BOTH sides of your mouth?
How central is the middle? Take a look at the picture of the venerable gentleman on the main page of this site. Would you say he is playing out of the middle of his mouth or a little to the side?
Anna, he has tons of whistles Plays them a a lot more than his saxophone…
Interesting responses. Thank you all. No, I don’t smoke, but I did start out playing the saxophone, oddly enough. Maybe I’ve got his mental image of Lester Young . . . (And I’m not gay, either!) Maybe it is easier to hear playing out of the side of the mouth, now that you mention it.
Tom
I should proofread better. “Maybe I’ve got this mental image of Lester Young” is what I meant.
Tom