I just wrote about another one of Richard's guitar lessons, this one on jazz soloing which also has "octaves" material in it.
The lesson we have here is broader in scope covering 3 types of Smooth Jazz Guitar. From Jazzy to increasingly Over driven: The "Octave" type as in Wes Montgomery, the Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour styles, and the Carlos Santana and Robben Ford styles.
We learn some right hand Octave technique and at least 3 or 4 different ways to use your thumb. There is "Breathy thumb", there is "Assertive thumb" and almost finally there is no thumb at all using a guitar pick instead.
Richard talks about how even though the octave shape he wants us to copy him doing is just two notes. The "sting" that you put on it is what is also known as your "feel". Feel comes with experience and experience from practice. We are still doing octaves however. Antecedent and consequence also known as call and response used by Bach, Charlie Parker, and BB King and many, many, more. Richard locks him self into the beat he says. He hits it as hard as he can within context of course. Artistic signature and melodic voice are what we are working on. Toys are used to attain these heights, at least two overdrive pedals, a Zen and a 'not sure' and digital delay. He plays an old James Tyler Strat. At one point Richard tells us that this is a great time to review your scales and theory and in general get up to his speed and then to come back.
There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. – Aristotle