I was reading another post, and came across a link with a picture of a whistler,
http://www.tinwhistler.com/music/index.asp
and I noticed something (As I often does), and I got curious (Again, something I often does.)
He plays with his left hand lower on the whistle. I play with my left hand upper on the whistle.
Who plays which way and have you ever thought about why?
Aodhan
I play with my left hand higher on the whistle. I never thought about why, but I guess it’s just because that was comfortable for me when I picked it up.
A.J.
Left hand higher is the “right” way. Right hand higher is picked up by some people who are left-handed (although I really don’t see why it would make a difference, because both hands are used) or who don’t know any better. It matters only for the fact that when you start playing the flute, you have to special order flutes with left-handed embouchure cut headjoints, and most makers of simple system flutes will do this, but not Boehm system flutes. And also, you are limited if you play left-handed…you can’t buy previously owned regular flutes. So basically, playing with the left hand on top is a much better idea.
I play with left hand higher, due to gasp being started on recorder in elementary school. 
I have heard some people discuss this, and what I heard boiled down to -
most players have left hand on top; the ones who don’t are often left handed, but not always, and
if you are starting out and trying to decide which hand to put where, put left hand on top in case you ever want to move to a keyed instrument.
Edit - oops, was posting at the same time as Jessie, sorry for the repeated info. Also, would like to point out that that pic you found is of our very own Wandering Whistler here at C&F - and I never knew he played left handed! 
Greg, speak up, ‘what went wrong’?
[ This Message was edited by: avanutria on 2003-02-07 16:46 ]
I play right hand on top. It just feels right that way.
Read this thread for some more info:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?topic=3061&forum=1
On 2003-02-07 16:55, Bala wrote:
I play right hand on top. It just feels right that way.Read this thread for some more info:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?topic=3061&forum=1
And here I thought I had a new topic :razz:out:
Oh well, it’s been a year. It’s time to revive it anyway. 
Aodhan
On 2003-02-07 16:44, avanutria wrote:
I play with left hand higher, due to gasp being started on recorder in elementary school. >
Man… :shakes head:
You think you know someone…
Aodhan
Hee hee. They made me do it!
There’s a high school here that has a Celtic Band instead of regular high school band. Where were they when I was in school, that’s what I’d like to know!
You just never know who you’re sitting next to in sessions!
Seamus Egan plays the soprano whistle with his left hand on top and the low whistle with his right on top. I’ve heard that he finds the reach easier gripping the low whistle that way.
There you are, Ailin! See you next friday at the Metro Grill session?
(and I swear, I haven’t played a recorder in years now, lol. I’m rehabilitated!)
Well, let’s see…Valentine’s Day with my wife or seisiun?..hmmmmmm
Actually, I always thought whichever hand is dominant, right or left, is usually what determines the lower hand in the grip.
Ah yes, I suppose some of us have to consider those details. 
I was pretty impressed with the turnout on the day of the Superbowl, though. And free pizza too!
And I’ll be missing the Johnnie’s Pub session on the 23rd due to spring break, so I suppose I’ll see you next month!
For what it’s worth, I’m hopelessly left-handed. I play the whistle with my left hand on the bottom. I played the Highland pipes the same way (even had the drones sitting on my right shoulder). I have a left-handed half-set of uileann pipes (if it was good enough for Willie Clancy it’s good enough for me), five lefty guitars (one of them’s a tenor), two tenor banjos that I built lefty, one bouzouki that I made a new bridge and nut for so I could play it lefty. My flutes play just as well from either side (one’s a Grinter, the other’s a Seery). The Christian Brothers used to beat me in school for writing left-handed so if it wasn’t for them I’d probably be normal.
I was visiting a whistlesmith’s site the other day that offered the offset holes on low whistles for people with small hands. I guess it wouldn’ work if they had small lefted kinds of hands
Whit+
[ This Message was edited by: revwhit on 2003-02-07 23:30 ]
I also play the whistle left-handed, though I write with my right. I just naturally put my hands that way the first time, and by the time I found out it was “wrong”, it was too late. I’ve tried to teach myself to play right-handed in case I want to pick up flute later, but it just won’t work. And it’s odd.. the first time I picked up a guitar, I automatically placed it as a left-handed person would, with the neck on the wrong side. I also recall back in middle school when we were learning to play violin, I wanted to hold the neck and bow with the opposite hands of what was correct.
Right-handed for writing, but left-handed musically? Smartie chiffers, any scientic explanations for this phenomenon? Maybe it has to do with the fact that my mom, her father, and generations past have been predominantly left-handed. Or perhaps I was left-handed in my last life… 