The reason it sounds unusual, for dulcimer playing, is that it isn't a dulcimer. It's a "picstrum" which is the same thing sometimes called a "strumstick" or a "picking stick." it's different from a dulcimer in that you're fingering it in a different way, from a different angle, than a dulcimer. So...it's like playing a lap steel versus playing a guitar. It's not really a "standard style" in America, because the instrument is pretty uncommon, and hasn't existed for very long. Others here will know more than I do about its history...