I am lightly exploring the BDSM lifestyle, most actively on my own via reading, researching, and thinking, and just dancing on the edge of it with my partner. How's this for switcheroo? He is generally quiet and not very verbal in our "real life" interactions, but quite the dominant little talker whenever we've explored the BDSM stuff. Me...I'm verbal to the max in our real life, but in the BDSM, darn it if I don't clam up a bit!

I tied him up and blindfolded him the other day and used different things on him for sensation play, but didn't utter a word expect to give one or two very small commands. Now...I really wanted to dominate him and give him the mental high that I know he loves, but well...I didn't. I think I did a very good job with the teasing, sensation, and him not knowing what I was going to do next (due to the blindfold). At the end of a prolonged teasing session, I went down on him, then put a condom on him, them rode him...I greatly enjoyed it but felt like I could've been a bit more dominant if I'd said more.

What is the experience of BDSMers here...I'm just a newbie so I'm learning. I know speaking up is obviously necessary for domination. But...can it be done without? Or...I guess...how do you think I did?

For me, verbal ques from Master are very important. I'm totally in lust with his voice. But, everyone is different. I suggest you ask him what he thought about the experience, encourage him to be honest. So many of us withold what truly would turn us on because we're afraid we'll hurt the other's feelings.
So, let him know you need to know what he felt, if he'd like more verbal, and tell him to give you some idea of what kinds of things he'd like to hear. Or if he's a little shy about it, tell him you'd like a fantasy story from him. One he's written himself, or found elsewhere that really turns him on. Turn finding out his fantasies into a game.
Hope that gives you some ideas.