[Blob] Fair do's. It was a practice worth highlighting, even if it transpired that you weren't guilty, your honour. But "note" is a single choice of 8. Unless you start including the tonic sol-fa I guess... so although I think this should probably be frowned upon, I would say that if you have less than about a dozen choices you're doing ok. However "boy" expands to a list that spans about 20 pages in my Crossword dictionary and should be banned.

[rab] I accept your grovelling apology ;-)
Re notes - 8 ? Er, 7 I think ... and yes I suppose 7 ain't too bad. But if it's three such notes then you're up to 343 possible combinations.
Re names - well yes, but usually it boils down to just a few (Sid, Tim & Ian being the favorites) and names such as IGOR are usually clued as "Russian" - but in principle I agree that they are a scoundrel's tactic.

[Blob] Depends on whether you include H, which is German for what we call B.

[rab] A likely story !

Anyway I haven't set one for a while - this one would probably spread over two answers if you know what I mean, as it is 19 letters long, and the max is usually 15 - but we don't have that constraint here.

They come in light, they punish harm - I embraced destruction ! (8,3,8)

[Blob] Rab is quite right, H *is* used in Germany (and some other European countries).