Wow, that is a lot of questions and I'm not a master of the topic, but I'll give you what I can.
>1) How do I know how to sing the Hymns and Psalms? Do I chant them? Can I just read them? I would love to chant them but I'm not totally sure if I should use a certain melody or not.
I just read them, as far as I know in liturgy only the Mass Alleluia HAS to be sung. (Someone can correct me if I'm wrong and there are others). You could therefore chant/sing them to your best. Also, there are some videos out there with the LoTH being done, you could watch and learn from them. Also, if you can I recommend visiting a monastery. I got to do that and be at the LoTH (afternoon) and they did the whole thing in chant etc... was spiritual and awesome.
>2) Do I have to pray at all 6 times or can I start out with just 3? Are there 6 or are there more?
Since you're not under the obligation to pray them as clergy and religious are, you can do 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6 at your desire/calling.
>3) Is there anything I should do with my body (bowing, sign of the cross, kneeling, etc) while praying? I kinda just did what felt natural but I'd like to know if there is a particular method.
I'm not entirely sure, since the beginning of no mass lockdown and no Masses, I have been doing the Morning Prayer with the family. I kind of end up standing to lead it and they sre sitters. Plus, I live with heathens, so we don't have perfect space.
>4) I'm discerning whether or not I want to join the Third Order of Carmelites, do they have their own version of LOTH? And if so, should I use that one or just use the standard one?
As far as I know LoTH is the prayer of the whole church and standard to a large degree. There can be slightly different translations as Laudette uses universalis, which is what I use, but one Sunday visiting the inlaws, my SIL, was going to be a nun previously and her copy of one or two of the prayers were slightly differently translated. Also, I know she looked into various orders and the last one for instance heavily dealt with Latin. I assume there is obviously a Latin version. I have nonidea anything about the Carmelites in that sense, but LoTH is LoTH any differences should be Basically just translation variations.
>5) I'm using the Laudate app for LOTH, is that good?
Good yes. If you like tactile things, this is the full set
And there is the cheaper and smaller version. I have this one, but I'm still retarded at using it. Like a buffoon.
>Thank you to any who reply, and God bless you🙏
You're welcome, and mat God bless you too, you wonderful soul.
This leather-bound one is still in print
https://www.amazon.com/Liturgy-Hours-Catholic-Book-Publishing/dp/0899424090
But I believe all the hardcover ones are oop.
For a physical copy of the complete Office of the Hours, you'll need the 4-vol Liturgy of the Hours.
Christian Prayer has an abbreviated OOR, but it probably won't satisfy what you want.
Just a note about the books. A massive translation project is happening right now -- pretty much like what happened for the Mass a few years ago. The timeline for the new translations being finished -- or at least the final vote -- is 2020. Will they be published in 2020? Nobody really knows.
Even so, I bought my 4-vol LOTH in March. I figured that even if I just got two years out it, then it would still be worth it. I happened to find a good used set on amazon and saved a little bit of money.
And just an fyi about a really cool book, Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours.
>In the four volumes of the Liturgy of the Hours, the official daily prayer of the Catholic Church, there are nearly 600 selections from the writings of Fathers and saints. Seeing the potential of this vast collection as a theological resource, Milton Walsh has organized these selections by topics according to the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This topical concordance allows the reader to compare what the various authors have written on the same themes, while a chronological timeline of the readings shows their relationship to each other in time.
So this is a fascinating way to study the Catechism. Don't get something like this instead of 4-vol LOTH. This is something that you may circle back around to later on.
You may want to look into an updated version of the breviary.
There is Christian prayerChristian prayer
Or if you would like to get the 4 volume set (unlike the previous link, this one has the Office of the readings): 4 volume