 By the middle of the 20th century three songs (Group B) and their shamisen versions had become the core of the Tsugaru-shamisen repertoire, which they remain today.Indeed, "Jonkara bushi" — in a version that the old bosama would probably not even recognize — has today become virtually a symbol of the timeless “spirit of Tsugaru.”

The songs of group D — though no less traditional than those of groups A, B, and C — were not, it seems, a major part of the bosama repertoire.Instead, they tended to be sung by non-professionals, generally without shamisen accompaniment.