Event organiser Kelly Tikao, of Dunedin, said entry to the seminar was limited to 45, but there was so much interest people were turned away.
"I think the instruments appeal to people for so many reasons. People might not necessarily have an interest in Te Reo [Maori language] but these are accessible to everyone. It's all part of the resurgence of interest in the culture," she said.
Those attending were interested in materials and designs used in traditional instrument-making, as were musicians wanting to add new elements to their music, she said.
Auckland-based musicians Rewi Spraggon and Riki Bennett played various traditional instruments, before helping participants fashion koauau (flutes) from deer bone.
The musicians had been demonstrating traditional instruments for 15 years, and often held about six workshops a year around the country, Mr Spraggon said.
Although traditional instruments had been on the "verge of dying out", research by musicians and sharing knowledge on their construction had ensured future generations would be able to make, play and enjoy a wide variety of instruments, he said.
They played last week at the Australiasian World Music Expo in Melbourne, performing with indigenous groups from Australia and the Torres Strait Islands.
While some of the instruments were similar to those used elsewhere in the Pacific and Australia, some Maori instruments created unique wave and wind sounds, Mr Spraggon said.
They recently released Ancient Maori Music by Te Aratoi, an album featuring traditional instruments.
An all-ages workshop would be held in Dunedin during the Maori new year, in June 2009.
