Just like Page, try playing some of your melodies in octaves; check out measures 13–16 of “Back In The Basement” and listen along to the track to hear the added electricity and resonance his playing gains when he makes the transition from single-note phrases to octaves.
Don’t pound into the keys when you play octaves, and be sure to keep your arm, hand, and fingers springy at all times. It can be easy to overdo when you first learn this technique, so before you try to rip big octave phrases like Page does, build up your strength slowly through regular practice to avoid making your hands sore, stiff, and unhappy.
When should you use octave melodies? Really, whenever a little more power is called for. I find it useful to think of this technique as a rock pianist’s version of adding overdrive or distortion to a guitar part — while it can kick the excitement up a notch, it can also quickly become annoying, if you don’t use it tastefully.
Take a look at the exercises below to get comfortable using octave melodies. And remember that this is just the beginning. Any phrase or melody you’ve ever learned can be practiced and performed in octaves as well.