An arc welding method for performing reciprocating wire feed so as to alternately perform forward feed for feeding a welding wire toward an object to be welded and reverse feed for feeding the welding wire in a direction opposite the forward feed and alternately generating a short circuit state and an arc state between the welding wire and the object to be welded, the method comprising: a normal arc welding step of continuing an arc state for a first determination period or longer while feeding the welding wire in the reciprocating wire feed; and a normal short circuit welding step of continuing a short circuit state for a second determination period or longer while feeding the welding wire in the reciprocating wire feed; characterized in that the method further comprises: determining a short circuit state as being a normal short circuit or an abnormal short circuit, the short circuit generated after a first time point at which an arc state is started and before the lapse of the first determination period is determined as an abnormal short circuit and the short circuit generated after the lapse of the first determination period after the first time point at which an arc state is started is determined as a normal short circuit; when a normal short circuit is determined, performing the normal arc welding step; and when an abnormal short circuit is determined, performing an abnormal arc welding step at a time point, which is before a lapse of the first determination period from the first time point, wherein, in the abnormal arc welding step, the reciprocating wire feed continues until a time point after a lapse of a first period from the time point, at the time point, the reciprocating wire feed is stopped and the abnormal arc welding step is completed, and from the time point, the welding wire is decelerated and the reciprocating wire feed is restarted. a normal arc welding step of continuing an arc state for a first determination period or longer while feeding the welding wire in the reciprocating wire feed; and a normal short circuit welding step of continuing a short circuit state for a second determination period or longer while feeding the welding wire in the reciprocating wire feed; characterized in that the method further comprises: determining a short circuit state as being a normal short circuit or an abnormal short circuit, the short circuit generated after a first time point at which an arc state is started and before the lapse of the first determination period is determined as an abnormal short circuit and the short circuit generated after the lapse of the first determination period after the first time point at which an arc state is started is determined as a normal short circuit; when a normal short circuit is determined, performing the normal arc welding step; and when an abnormal short circuit is determined, performing an abnormal arc welding step at a time point, which is before a lapse of the first determination period from the first time point, determining a short circuit state as being a normal short circuit or an abnormal short circuit, the short circuit generated after a first time point at which an arc state is started and before the lapse of the first determination period is determined as an abnormal short circuit and the short circuit generated after the lapse of the first determination period after the first time point at which an arc state is started is determined as a normal short circuit; when a normal short circuit is determined, performing the normal arc welding step; and when an abnormal short circuit is determined, performing an abnormal arc welding step at a time point, which is before a lapse of the first determination period from the first time point,