With the launch of Flor y Canto, cuarta edición letra con acordes, the chords over text version of the hymnal, we wanted to reflect on the importance of this popular version for the Hispanic Catholic community.
Where traditional hymnals include modern music notation with notes on a staff, “Chords over text” or “lyrics with chords” editions present just the lyrics of the songs with solfeggio chords above them, guiding musicians in the execution of the songs. These editions are highly preferred by musicians who learned to play “by ear,” by liturgical guitarists and by musicians who don’t know how to read music.
There is a long history behind why Hispanic communities prefer these editions, and it has to do with public music education. Dr. María Luisa Muñoz explains: “In 1838, the public schools of Boston incorporated school music into their study programs and, twenty years later, by 1860, most states had followed suit” (Musical education in Latin America, Chilean Music Magazine, p. 59). It wasn’t until almost 100 years later, towards the end of the 1940s, that the Latin American Association of Musical Education (ALADEM) was just founded under the efforts of the Pan American Union, today better known as the Organization of American States (OAS). This association was what made it possible for some Latin American countries to start music classes.
It's also important to note that musical education in many parts of Latin America is based on the solfeggio method, which lists the notes as Do, Re, Mi... as opposed to using letters (C, D, E…), which are used in many other parts of the world, including the United States.
Here are some important reasons that Flor y Canto, cuarta edición letra con acordes is very useful for Hispanic musicians in the United States and Latin America:
- It is a simple version: Hymnals or songbooks that contain the chords along with the lyrics do not include the harmonies, measures and many other elements of formal music which normally appear in a score. Thus, the chords over text version provides easy and quick access to music.
- It is an intuitive version: The chords that appear in the lyrics of the songs follow a pattern, a sequence, which can help “by ear” musicians to become familiar with melodies in an organic way, without needing sheet music.
- It is a version that uses solfeggio chords: Although not all “lyrics with chords” hymnals include solfeggio chords, Flor y Canto Chords Over Text editions do! Many musicians learn with this musical notation system.
Many Hispanic Catholic musicians who come to the United States seek to express their faith through music – accompanying the liturgy using the means best known to them and continuing with the oral tradition and learning “by ear.” The Flor y Canto hymnal, now in its fourth edition, recognizes this reality and OCP produces the special chords over text version of the hymnal to provide necessary tools for these musicians.