I was at the Kerry Whistles website and the guy playing on the videos there (Phil Hardy?) has the whistle at the side of his mouth. Is that common? I haven’t actually SEEN that many people play whistle, but when I play it’s in the middle.
Playing that way makes it easier to hear yourself in a loud session. The sound is closer to your ear. That said, I always play straight forward anyway.
I play to the side most of the time for comfort, as it feels more natural on the arms and lips to me, however I switch to straight in front if I’m doing something that is difficult. 
Play in whatever position is most comfortable for you (lotus, kneeling, centered, offset, whatever), as long as you’re satisfied with your tone.
I play with whistles slightly cocked to the right; simply felt most comfortable that way.
Some people also find the stretch for larger whistles (low D and below, usually), to be easier when playing the whistle slightly cocked to the right. Brings the lower holes into easier reach of the right hand, for those folks.
Centered whistling is cool, too, though; if you’re comfortable there, no need to start experimenting.
Except for the heck of it.
if i play to one side, my shoulder on that side is higher, wich causes tension, floating to my fingers. i can only do belly breathing with level shoulders, that’s why i play straight forward
I play off to the side on my highs, when I was getting started I found it much much easier not to over blow my notes when I did it this way. I still play that way with my high whistles and when I’m preforming on stage, but a couple low whistles I have I play centered cuz for some reason I cant get that breathe control right with the whistle off to the side.
I play straight out with my Left hand on the lowest holes. It felt more natural that way… all those years of playing guitar. Mind tells left hand “hey you! You know yer supposed to be the farthest away. Now get movin!” 
Well I’ve seen old Matt Bivins from Jump, Little Children play his whistle crooked like that, but then, he’s kind of a weird guy, so I don’t think you could use him to represent other whistlers. 
Yea, you can hear yourself better doing that, that’s the only reason I can think of. I don’t do it myself though.
Your milage may vary, but it is easier for me to play in tune with the whistle straight, and on the front of my lips (no crunching). This seems especially helpful in the higher part of the whistle’s range, and on better whistles. Venturing a guess as to why; a players mouth isn’t like a bagpipe bladder, the air comes directly from the lungs, so the more direct the path of the air, the less turbulence. I don’t know how accepted this is, but I’ve heard two very good artists say they believe it.
I noticed that Fynbar Furey (sp) plays it straight
I can’t play sideways because it reminds me of that Kenny saxophone guy who wrecked jazz!
But seriously, sometimes you have to tighten your whole mouth area to achieve certain high notes on balky whistles, and I think its easier to do that straight on.
I’m glad someone brought this up because I saw a guy at a music camp play out of the side of his mouth and I thought, “What the heck is he doing? Am I supposed to be playing that way?”
I play straight, for all the whistles, but for the longer end-blown flutes I have (NAF), they are too long to play straight when I am sitting cross-legged (which is how I play), so I have to sort of play to the right, across one knee.
I’m glad someone brought this up because I saw a guy at a music camp play out of the side of his mouth and I thought, “What the heck is he doing? Am I supposed to be playing that way?”
I play straight, for all the whistles, but for the longer end-blown flutes I have (NAF), they are too long to play straight when I am sitting cross-legged (which is how I play), so I have to sort of play to the right, across one knee.
I play a little to the right, especially with low whistle for a couple of reasons. First, if feels more comfortable. Secondly because it’s easier to draw a quick big breath from the left side of my mouth if the whistle is on the right side of my mouth. There was an added advantage to this, the first time I used a microphone, I could focus the whistle towards the mike and draw breath away from the mike, more music, less gasps coming out of the speakers. (Besides which I’m a little of center anyways 
)
The whistler that got me into whistling was a sidewinder, and a mouthpiece chomper to boot! Needless to say, didn’t work to well for me, straight on seems much easier. I find that if the whistle is too far off center, it is very difficult to tongue properly.
Personally, I’ve just fallen into the habit of playing to the right. It’s no more comfortable physically, but I’m always a little uneasy now playing straight. This only holds true on the higher whistles, the lower ones i’m just lucky if I can fit the mouthpiece into my mouth at all.
Seth
Suppose if a person is learning it would matter a bit not to be getting into bad habits like chewing the end off the whistle, but blowing out the side is not a bad thing.
I learned - right or wrong - to overblow out the side to start the octave scales. I still don’t know if that is correct.
I think when you get into it, takes a little while of serious distraction and a bit of practice, you can forget entirely what you are doing but continue to play and hear great music; so, It resembles good drawing technique in forcing a person to be so focused on the music that how they play - be it good bad or horrid - becomes irrelevant.
Huummmm let’s see. At night I put my teeth into a soaking jar and my mouth stays on my face and I usually put my whistles on the coffee table.
Seriously, I play with the whistle to the side of my mouth on the right. It’s comfortable that way for me. Also I’m basically self taught and I have had to use the dots some times to get a tune and I wear bifocals.
It is easier to read the music with the whistle off to the side for me rather than straight ahead. I also find it is easier to play to a mic with the whistle off to the side.
Good post.
MarkB