\(\displaystyle \left(\sum_{k=1}^{6}x^{k}\right)^{4}=\left(x+x^{2}+x^{3}+x^{4}+x^{5}+x^{6}\right)^{4}\).....[1]
Expand out and look at the coefficient of \(\displaystyle x^{9}\). That is the total number of outcomes that sum to 9.
Or, expand out \(\displaystyle x^{4}\left(1+x+x^{2}+x^{3}+x^{4}+x^{5}\right)^{4}=x^{4}\cdot\frac{1}{(1-x)^{4}}\)....[2]
The coefficient of \(\displaystyle x^{9}\) in [1] is the coefficient of \(\displaystyle x^{5}\) in [2].
Note the identity: \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{(1-x)}^{n}}=1+\binom{1+n-1}{1}x+\binom{2+n-1}{2}x^{2}+....+\binom{r+n-1}{r}x^{r}+....\)
Thus, the coefficient is \(\displaystyle \binom{5+4-1}{5}\). That is the total outcomes summing to 9 when rolling 4 dice.