What to read after The Ultimate Guide to Music?

To understand music, you can't just read about it--you have to hear it. Not only does this comprehensive guide cover everything about the subject, from what music is and how it's made to instruments, composers, and recordings, it comes with a free downloadable app.

Thanks to this AR feature, you can interact with the orchestra and listen to Benjamin Britten's music, performed by the Royal Northern College of Music Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Mark Elder. Each spread includes striking photographs and bite-sized chunks of information, and "Did you know?" and "Suggested listening" sidebars appear throughout.

The Ultimate Guide to Music includes:

• An app that uses Augmented Reality--a fast-moving technology that works great on mobile devices (System Requirements: Apple devices using iOS version 5.1 and above, including iPhone 4S and above; iPod 5 Gen; iPad 2 and above; plus compatible Android devices using Android version 2.3 and above, OpenGL version 2.0. All devices need both front- and rear-facing cameras)
• The first AR sequence in the app profiles one instrument from each section of the orchestra--the violin, clarinet, trumpet, and timpani. Users can view each instrument in 360°, zoom in on key areas, and listen to a short recording of it playing a tune
• The second AR sequence profiles the orchestra as a whole and users will have to identify which section of the orchestra the four instruments belong to. Users can then listen to Britten's piece The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra in all its glory.