How to Play One Chord in Different Places on the Neck
The same chord - G major, say - can physically be played in five or six different spots on the neck. That's not redundancy, it's a practical tool for changing tone and hand position.
Why one chord means several spots
The fretboard repeats the same harmony every 12 frets, and the CAGED shapes (see the dedicated article) fill the space between those repeats - which is exactly why one chord is physically available in several positions instead of being tied to a single fingering forever.
The same chord sounds different in different spots
The same harmony sounds different depending on where it's played - versions closer to the headstock sound more open and ringing (thanks to nearby open strings), versions further up the neck sound tighter and denser. Choosing a position is choosing a tone, not just convenience.
Convenience for the next chord change
One practical reason to play a chord outside its standard open position is the distance to the next chord in the progression. If the next chord is physically closer to the current position than to the open shape, the change (see the article on fast chord changes) needs less hand movement along the neck.
How to find an alternative position yourself
Work out which of the five CAGED shapes the current open fingering is closest to, then move up as a barre by however many frets, using the location of the chord's root note as your reference (see the article on fretboard notes). This doesn't require memorizing ready-made position charts - just knowing where the note you need sits on the neck.
Where to start in practice
Take one chord you know well and find just one alternative position for it further up the neck - play the same simple sequence first in the familiar open shape, then in the new one, comparing the sound. There's no need to expand to all five positions for every chord right away - two or three convenient options are enough for practical use.
Try it in practice
Open chord trainer