Sunday, January 24, 2010

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLUTING AND REEDING?


Although I failed t0 make the cut when I tried out for my high school band, I believe the term "fluting" is a musical one that means playing a weird stick-like instrument that no one can figure out why any kid would want to play.

I'd call it a silver PVC pipe with holes to blow in. Luckily, my extensive research indicates that fluting poses no danger to either the floutist or anyone in the audience (presuming anyone shows).

Reeding, on the other hand, is the remarkable human ability to decipher the printed or written word (you're reeding right now!), except this skill is properly spelled READING.


I can't decide if that was funny or just plain stupid. Or maybe both. Hey, it's Sunday and I'm waiting for Mad Men to come on so I have idle time on my hands.

Actually, reeding and fluting are decorative carvings or moldings. Reeding is linear convex moldings (meaning it sticks out and proud from of the surface) with narrow channels separating each "reed". This decorative technique can be carved, cast or be applied molding.


Fluting is the exact opposite: it is linear concave (meaning inward curving) channels with narrow upcurved channels separating each fluted section. Here you can compare the two (in case you didn't catch the difference in the last picture):

Ok, Mad Men is starting...gotta go.

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