“Low boy” cymbals were the direct ancestor of the modern hi-hat.
Early drum kits had a foot-operated pair of cymbals mounted very close to the floor, usually only a few inches high. The drummer pressed a pedal to bring the two cymbals together for a sharp “chick” sound. Because the cymbals sat low, near the drummer’s feet, they were called low boys or low-sock cymbals.
They were common in early jazz and dance-band drumming, especially before drum kits became standardized. The main limitation was obvious: because the cymbals were so low, they were mostly only playable by foot. You couldn’t comfortably strike them with sticks while also playing the rest of the kit.
As drumming evolved, players wanted that same foot “chick” sound and the ability to strike the cymbals with sticks. So the stand got taller. This became the high-hat, later shortened to hi-hat.
So the evolution is roughly:
clash cymbals / hand cymbals
→ foot-operated low-boy cymbals near the floor
→ raised “high-hat” cymbals
→ modern hi-hat standThe low boy’s key contribution was combining two cymbals with a pedal mechanism, giving drummers a controllable timekeeping sound while their hands played snare, bass drum, or other instruments.
