When he first played with Mingus, Waldron was a follower of Horace Silver's style, which used added chords and passing notes, as well as Bud Powell's, which contained many runs. Mingus encouraged him to strip away these things and concentrate on basic and altered harmonies. Before his breakdown, Waldron played in a lyrical way, but after it, "I couldn't find that lyricism inside myself any more, so I became a very angular player", becoming more like Thelonious Monk in playing and composition style.