Profound question!
To me, chord changes are the closest to rhythm as you can get.
To be specific, the chord change itself lives in its own little world timing-wise because it is all about hitting the chord at the right times.
The basic blueprint of a song
bottom layer: rhythm. A metronome, a drum pattern
on top of that: a chord downstroke on each beat (a strum on each count of 1, 2, 3 and 4)
Being able to get chords to a very deep, fundamental layer is crucial. It is hard to describe how it feels like to be driven by this chord engine, running on the cadence of the rhythm.
You must be able to “feel” the rhythm first and know what its basic characteristics are… aka: the nodding of the head, the tapping of the foot or a gentle thrust of the body… whatever works. This links what you hear, see, feel with extra impulses. Like I have shown in my Live Club about memorization, finding more connections with your knowledge network in your memory will make the memory more profound.
Doing chord changes and playing them on the beat might be a habit but feeling this rhythm is even deeper; on reflex level.
There is nothing shameful in doing exercises that link chord changes to rhythm, just focused on that. I’m training a student by offering a few chord progressions and some drum tracks. Although the track dictates the rhythm, it leaves you all the freedom to decide when, how and how much to play the chords. Suddenly you are playing something very basic BUT you are LISTENING to the drum track as well. Suddenly doing cycles of 4 chord strums and then a change to the next chord became more challenging than when just playing it yourself.
Once again, no shame in that! Before you can fingerpick on autopilot (clicking with the rhythm played), there should be strumming on autopilot. Only then a smooth and quick transition of strum-to-pick-to-strum-to-lead-etc can happen.
Honor the humble exercise of playing a drum track and experimenting with strumming patterns over them, while you play certain, pre-made chord progressions or songs.
Imagine yourself being a rhythm guitarist in a band, the drummer starts playing and the singer wants a chord structure laid down so (s)he can start singing over it. Imagine being on the podium, fulfilling that role that is easy to learn but takes a lot to master. The drummer is in control but if he keeps playing the same beat, it’s up to you to go intro, bridge, chorus, etc.
Meanwhile, you look around, you hear and feel the drum in your body, as an inaudible pound or hum. You keep track of the singer AND the drummer as well. Perhaps a fill is coming up? Perhaps the singer starts singing too late or too early and you need to postpone or hasten your progression? Meanwhile, rhythm is and remains TIGHT.
Play without looking at your guitar, feel the drum, hum in your head, …
Be awesome at something very simple and you will benefit from it for a lifetime!
…yes sure!” I get what you mean, though and take the dynamics going on in such situation for my definition of the feeling I’ll try to describe.