Some of the players have that full, round, singing tone that I'd sometimes love to find on steel; I don't know yet who I'm listening to or I'd say who they are.

But the scales they use to improvise - that's the question I want to raise.

From some quick reading, I understand that the mixolydian scale is used (major scale with a flatted 7th), the pentatonic (especially minor pentatonic) and the blues scale (one of which is just a minor pentatonic with an added #4).

From the noodling I've done with these, they seem to fit; that together with yodeling arpeggios in these scales.

Have I got it close, or is there more?

One thing I do is practice one scale all over the neck for a half hour or so with a metronome. I use one of Joe Wright's spreadsheets for a visual reference. I do my best to get the sound of the scale in my ear.
Then I loop a tune that uses that scale.

Now comes the important part: I DO NOT play my steel over the track at first. I sing a part and then I play exactly what I sang on the steel. It works for me. Helps to break the "corn pedal" habit.

Bob

I appreciate the pointers about melodic minor and dorian.

Example G-mixolydian = G7 + Am7
--G-A-BC-D-EF-G
F---A--C---E--- =Fmaj7
--G---B--D--F-- =G7
----A--C---E--G =Am7

First I choose a short picking pattern for some notes from the G chord
Then I apply same pattern to the F-chord
Then I apply same pattern to the Am chord
Go back to G
All while the band is playing G