Hey Gang,
Nesh has put together another REO Speedwagon lesson, this time it is Roll With The Changes.
Roll With the Changes is another one of REO Speedwagon's biggest hits, and surely a fan's favorite.
It appears on their album "You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish', and was released in 1978.
The original recording was done in the key of C, and performed as such in the early eighties. In later years they've been playing it a half step down in the key of B.
Kevin Cronin, the frontman, has played the song with chord shapes in the key of C and much more often in A, which is why we take a look at both. The latter is definitely the one that I prefer.
Other than that, we break down the double time strumming, the main four measure progression, a few syncopated chord changes, a little descending bassline and other details.
The band has been playing the song for decades now, so keep in mind that each performance might be arranged a little differently.
In one occasion I've seen Cronin play it in the key of Ab, which made me think of playing it with shapes in the key of G (Capo I). This key turns out to be very doable, and might suit the ones with lower vocal ranges.
