A method for mimicking the auditory system's response to rhythm of an input signal having a time varying structure comprising the steps of receiving a time varying input signal x(t) to a network of n nonlinear oscillators, each oscillator having a different natural frequency of oscillation and obeying a dynamical equation of the form .function..alpha..beta..times..epsilon..times..beta..times..epsilon..ti me- s..times..times..function..times..times..times..PHI..times..epsilon..ep sil- on..times..times..times..epsilon..times..times..times..times..times..PH I. ##EQU00001## .PHI..omega..delta..times..epsilon..times..delta..times..epsilon..times ..- times..times..times..function..times..function..PHI..epsilon..times..ti mes- ..times..epsilon..times..times..times..function..PHI..times..times..ome ga.- .times..times..function..times..times..times..PHI..epsilon..times..time s..- times..epsilon..times..times..times..times..times..PHI. ##EQU00001.2## wherein .omega. represents the response frequency, r is the amplitude of the oscillator and .phi. is the phase of the oscillator. Generating at least one frequency output from said network useful for describing said varying structure.