Dulcimer DamselListed are some suggestions.1.) Provide a short and interesting story, anecdote, or history behind the song you are about to play.2.) Learn and play songs in as many of the modes as you can (Aeolian, Dorian, etc.)3.) If you have another dulcimer player, one of you can play the harmony on certain songs.4.) If you have another dulcimer player or two or three, play some rounds.5.) Sing while you play. You don't have to always play the melody note you are singing, you can play a note in the chord for your melody note.6.) Add an act or an impact moment for a given song. Mississippi Sawyer is sometimes played with a crash note where everybody pauses for a moment on a sour note. I and my partner stop and look at each other and say "What?" when we're singing a couple of the parts in "The Battle of New Orleans". Maybe some of your songs have places where a change of tempo, a statement, a joke, or other creative act could add to the song.7. Try some variations of hitting the strings and don't strum across all of the strings on all notes. Try playing the base or middle strings by themselves in between playing the melody string(s).8. If guitars or other instruments are being played while you are playing, listen for the places where the drone strings clash with the chords on the other instruments and try to not play the drone strings on those notes.I hope at least one of these suggestions is something you're not already doing. I'm sure we'll see some more suggestions on this post.Good LuckDave
updated by @dave-holeton: 02/15/16 10:01:56AM
