A really cool sounding horn type blues riff trick

[Terje]

There are lots of ways to do this but this is by far the easiest. And probably the hippest one too. T-Bone Walker did it all the time, and that's where I learnt it. I don't know why this one works but it does.

 

Play the diminished chord in the same the key as the blues you're playing. C diminished for a blues in C, easy. This goes for all the chords in a blues, don't need to change it when the chords change. In fact you shouldn't.

 

Bend the strings a little. Not a half-step, and not quite a quarter step either, just a nudge. Play horn type kicks, rhythmic riffs. Listen to a big band playing a blues and you'll know what it should sound like.