Well, right now I'm playing everything solo. I perform with just myself and guitar... I play the bass, melody, and I take instrumental breaks, but not "lead" breaks. So there no flash at all. I rarely use open tunings, but play my 6-/12- string like an open tuning in standard... Lots of open chords and suspendeds. I pick or strum depending on the dynamics I need to accomplish (picking for quiet/strumming for loud)