A lot of people who use straps tile the dulcimer slightly upward so that the bottom doesn't sit flat on their lap, thus enabling the back to vibrate more freely. That makes a noticeable difference in volume, and perhaps a slight difference in tone as well.
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Dusty T., Northern California
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As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie