Beginning in the 1840s a good number of these songs were performed on the banjo.
Today we only have musical notation, modern players like Bob Flesher, Bob Carlin, others and our imagination to guess what the music really sounded like back then.
The following performances many years later (from the 1920s & 1930s) are mostly by southern rural artists.
On these recordings the instrumentation is different and there are some changes to the tunes and lyrics.
We can compare our modern performances with these recordings for a broader perspective.

Here are some excellent resources for information about Early Minstrel Banjos.
Minstrel Banjo Ning
Dr Horsehair Music Company
Tim Twiss Early Banjo Stylist

The following are Builders of Minstrel Banjos for every budget.
The Banjo Factory
Eric Prust
Gardner's Dulcimer Shop
Bell and Son
Jeff Menzies
Calkins Banjos
Jay Moschella
Bob Flesher Custom Banjos
Hartel Banjos

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