Try the following variations and make up your own. These ones are all in * time but the same principle can be applied to ^ time. Also note that in all these rhythms your right hand moves up and down in a continuous motion. These rhythm patterns sound and feel "off the beat". This is called syncopation. Practice these rhythms on an Am chord and then apply them to the following progressions.
In traditional music notation, syncopated rhythms are often created by the use of ties, as shown in the following example.