I hope I m not too OT, but this thread reminded me of a dulcimer player I just saw at a song circle - she not only plucked and fingerpicked the strings but played it with a glass slide, getting a sort of pedal steel sound out of. Sorry forgot her name, but she sounded great.

My take on this is I admire any musician s innovative techniques, as
long as they contribute to the power of the song. Richard Shindell recently played his
song Transit in concert- 'hitting' the strings with the palm of his hand throughout the song. Amazing to see, amazing to hear.