Is there a term for different chords of the same note?

I'm trying to expand my knowledge of chords and I'm confused about something. So the basic C Major chord is the A string on the third fret. When I play a C Major chord on the A string of the 7th fret and the E string of the 8th fret, is there a term for the difference in sound between the two C Major chords? I though it was octaves but I just researched octaves and learned they are something completely different.

In other words, what is a chord called that is higher in pitch than another chord of the same base note?

I've heard people call these variations "voicings" or "inversions"

as an addendum to what I wrote:

I think my friends who play guitar refer to these variations as positions, such as 3rd position or 8th position.

I personally organize my chords in my head using the string on which the root of the chord occurs. Using your examples, I would call the first chord C major rooted on the C string. The second one would be C major rooted on the E string. I know that is inelegant and I normally don't write it out; it is just my thought process.

Yes, please! We need more terms to memorize and understand.

Our resident teachers may have more or better info. Here’s my understanding of the theory:

A chord voicing is the specific notes to play a chord. The same chord played in two different shapes or two locations are different voicings of the chord.

A chord inversion refers to the order of the notes played in the chord, specifically the lowest note. A C chord is CEG. If the lowest note is the root (C) then it is in root position. If the third (E) is the lowest then it’s the 1st inversion, and if the 5th (G) it’s in second inversion.

Position can also mean where your hand is on the fretboard, generally (but not consistently) defined by the fret under your first finger. This is more consistently used in fretless instruments. It’s important more important for violins than ukes.

Playing in different positions up the neck will change both the voicing and the inversion, until you get to the 12th fret when you can repeat the inversions in a higher octave.

Once you learn your way around the fretboard you can choose your chord voicings for effect. Changing voices adds color and allows for deliberate melody or bass lines on top of or under the chord sequence.

Because ukes have only four strings the inversion and position are tied together - on a guitar you can leave strings silent to change the inversion in the same position. This often leads ukelelists to ignore inversion changes that require moving to far as the position change may sound disconcerting even if the voicing is otherwise better.

This also means that if you play the same chord in the same position on a low-G and high-G uke you’ll play different inversions: open-C on a high-G uke is in root position since the lowest note is the C. On the low-G uke it’s a 2nd inversion since the G is lower

If the chord contains the same notes then it has the same name regardless of where on the fretboard or a keyboard they are played. The SmartChord app that I use calls the different positions "fingering patterns".

Thank you, Arcy. Your explanations of usage in common terms really helped.

-W

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Thanks for the responses guys. You both answered my question and gave me a lot of stuff to work on. I've been playing the uke three years now and my love for it only keeps growing as I learn more. It seems like there's an ocean of knowledge and theory and I've just been wading around in the shallows.

Coming from a guitar background there are many songs that are characterized by HOW the chords are played, which sometimes makes transposing to a key that is more suitable to one's singing voice quite challenging. For ukulele there are fewer of these constraints which allows for more experimentation and learning. Now when I learn a new song I probably spend more time on finding my preferred chord voicings and transitional chords than on figuring the basic chords. And as I play songs more often my preferred way of playing can also change over time. But often I also stick to the open chords of the first frets as those tend to ring best and cut through when playing with others. You also need to know when to play with subtlety and when to lay it on hard.