It's a bit early in the morning here for me to be thinking straight, but let me try to help Murray.

Noter Stick: Lorraine Lee Hammond told me that the oldest dulcimers in the Smithsonian Institute have nailheads poking up out of the fingerboards instead of frets. You couldn't play a melody on them with a finger for more than 2 seconds on those things.....hence the helpful stick.

Slide Dulcimer: Lorraine L.H. plays wicked blues on slide dulcimer....the same way one would play a dobro, with a bottleneck slide. Not the same process at all as a noting stick. Really and truly sliding. (She likes to perform slide dulcimer wearing sunglasses). You need a special setup for that kind of playing, else the strings are too close to the fingerboard. I know....I've performed a very clanky slide version of Amazing Grace.

Hope I've helped.

~black walnut