This thesis is about exploring methods of composing music and improvising based on melodic phrases that recur in bass solos by the legendary bass player Paul Chambers. Reoccurring phrases were identified and then used in four composition and improvisation methods. Which are the reoccurring phrases? Why do these phrases reoccur? Does it have anything to do with the technical characteristics of the double bass? If so, what are those characteristics? In search of answers to these questions five bass solos by Paul Chambers were transcribed and analyzed. The reoccurring phrases that were found were then used as the basis for the music that was composed and for the analysis that yielded answers to the questions. The artistic result of this work is three original compositions and arrangements of these composition for jazz sextet. The analysis of the reoccurring phrases made it clear that the technical characteristics of the double bass’ lower positions on the fingerboard (where most of reoccurring phrases were played) made them easy to play and therefore might have contributed to them reoccurring.