From my PhD Research it became clear that mechanical carillons inform us about the performance practice of both the historical carillon repertoire and historical keyboard music in general. The comparative study of seventeenth and eighteenth centuries re-pinning and carillon books gave rise to a new methodology that originates in the observation that versteken (arrangements for the automatic carillon) imitate the play of the carillonneurs, and thus are an important source for a Historically Informed Performance. The method consists of both playing the versteken (practice-based research) and comparing them with other primary musical sources. use of intabulation technique (polyphonic reductions, diminutions) by carillonneurs, allowing polyphonic vocal works to be performed on the carillon. This intabulation practice was linked with the practice of improvisation.