Timpani can change the mood, the emotion in any piece in orchestra. Timpani usually consists in a set of four drum. First, you have to know how to read a bass clef music because timpani do not use treble clef score. Arrange your timpani set into semi circle so you can easily reach all four. Check your music sheet for the notes that you need to use then tune the timpani. Usually, there is a paddle at the bottom of the timpani to change the tune. Do not easily change the tune by looking at the tuning gauge and think it is the right sound because the tuning gauge can be change and not precise. Use tuner or vibraphone if there is one, to level the tune you need. Then you can move the alphabet at the tuning gauge as a mark for your needed tune.
The highest note goes to the smallest timpani and the lowest note goes to the biggest one. Grab a mallet in which your music sheet required such as general mallet, articulate mallet, staccato mallet, or ultra staccato mallet. Different mallet produces different sound. You do not use staccato mallet for soft crescendo roll on timpani. Practice a lot of paradiddle because playing four different notes on four different huge drums will be hard en you use single stroke. Timpani role is one of the crucial part when you play timpani. So here is the video lesson on how to play timpani roll.